Barn swallow is migratory bird that belongs to the group of songbirds. There are six subspecies of barn swallow that can be found all over the north hemisphere (Europe, Asia, Africa and North America). Barn swallow inhabits fields, meadows and rural areas. Swallow is used colloquially in Europe as a synonym for the barn swallow.
Fast Facts about Swallows
1. Barn swallow can reach 6.7 to 7.5 inches in length and 0.56 to 0.78 ounces of weight. Tail feathers are 0.79 to 2.76 inches long.
2. Barn swallow has pointed wings and wingspan of 12.6 to 13.6 inches. Tail is deeply forked and longer in males.
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3. Barn sparrow has red face. Upper part of the body is covered with blue feathers. Bottom side of the body is white. Dark blue band separates upper and lower part of the body.
4. Young Swallows are covered with brown feathers.
5. Barn swallows eat different types of large insects. Flies are their favorite food. Other than flies, they eat beetles, wasps, butterflies, moths and bees.
6. Nests are semi-circular in shape. Couple chooses location carefully and builds nest together, usually from May to June. Nests are made out of the mud, bird’s saliva and leaves…
7. An unmated male Barn Swallow may kill the nestlings of a nesting pair. His actions often succeed in breaking up the pair and afford him the opportunity to mate with the female.
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8. Males are very aggressive during the nesting period. They keep all intruders (including large predators) on a safe distance.
9. Many baby and parent swallows learn each other’s voices and stay together over migration.
10. Barn swallow can survive up to 11 years in the wild, but they rarely live more than 4 years.
