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ViewsBarn SwallowFrom Opus
[edit] Identification17-19cm. Glossy blue-black above and on breast band. Forehead, chin and throat reddish-chestnut. Remainder of underparts creamy-white. The deeply forked tail is spotted white at the base. Sexes alike, but female has shorter and broader tail streamers. Juvenile: has shorter, blunt tail streamers, browner upperparts and a brownish-pink forehead and throat. Variation: the extent of the breast band, the maximum length of the tail streamers, and the underside color varies among populations. [edit] Similar SpeciesJuvenile Swallow lacks the white rump of a Northern House Martin. In other parts of the world see Pacific Swallow and Welcome Swallow. [edit] Distribution Breeds mainly in the northern half of the globe. Abundant and widespread throughout the western Palearctic. Breeds from the British Isles, France and Iberia east to the Urals and Caspian. In the north found to 70° N on the Norwegian coast and breeds north to the White Sea in Russia. Breeds on the north Mediterranean coast and most islands, in Turkey and the Caucasus, across North-West Africa and in the Nile valley but only locally in the Middle East. In the New World it breeds throughout most of North America and winters in Central and South America. A disjunct population has recently started breeding in Argentina. Small numbers regularly winter in southern Spain and North-West Africa but the majority of European birds winter in sub-Saharan Africa leaving breeding areas August-October and returning March-May. Middle Eastern and Egyptian birds are largely resident. Vagrant north to Iceland (has bred), Faroe Islands (may breed annually), Svalbard, Bear Island and Jan Mayen, also on the Azores, these birds may have originated in North America.
 Photo by bobsofpa Middle Creek WMA, Pennsylvania, USA, May 2010 [edit] TaxonomySix different subspecies occur, with typical birds of several of these separable in the field. In Western Palearctic, nominate race is found over most of range, replaced by transitiva in southern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, Israel and western Jordan, with pinkish to orange underparts and savignii in Egypt with dark red-brown underparts, both slightly larger than nominate. [edit] HabitatMainly occurs on farmland with abundant flying insects attracted by livestock and nesting sites in farm buildings. Often breeds in rural villages but rarely in large towns. Highly gregarious on passage and frequently feeds over large water bodies. [edit] BehaviourRarely perches in trees, but very inclined to sit on telegraph wires. [edit] FlightFast, with clipped wing beats, often low to the ground. Will fly across a water surface and drink whilst on the move. [edit] BreedingBarn Swallows have been studied extensively for what influences sexual selection etc. In short, in Europe a male with long tail streamers seems to do well. In North America, the colour of the underparts, especially the breast area, seems to be important for the breeding success of a male, with dark colour being advantagous (length of tail streamers still probably is important). It nests inside buildings such as barns and stables, or under bridges and wharves. Usually the female builds the cup-shaped nest, placed on a beam or against a suitable vertical projection. It is made from mud pellets and lined with grasses, feathers or other soft materials. 4-5 reddish-spotted white eggs are laid, and are incubated by the female for 14-19 days; the young fledge 18-23 days later. [edit] DietThe diet consists almost entirely of flying insects. [edit] VocalisationListen in an external program [edit] In CultureAn old country lore states "Swallows flying high - going to be dry". [edit] References
[edit] External Links
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