Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Swallows are a group of birds known for their small beaks that are suitable for catching insects in flight. Swallows are fun to watch as they glide quickly through the air, gobbling up many insects. The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow species throughout the world. Because they are insect eaters, they must migrate to warmer areas when winter approaches, such as South and Central America to maintain their food supply. They will return north to breed.
They are iridescent blue on the upper side of the body and orange-brown on the underside of the body. They are unique from the other swallow species with their deeply forked tail. They also fly lower than other swallows when foraging for prey. They can fly so low to the water that they can contact the water and even take a drink.
As the name suggests, they are often found in barn areas, but also found in many other habitats like open fields, wetlands, and other aquatic habitats. For breeding, they require open areas and human-made structures, such as eaves, rafters, barn supports, and bridges for building their nests. Both males and females collect mud, mix it with grass, and build a cup nest together that is about 3 inches across and 2 inches deep. They may often reuse the nests after cleaning out old feathers and adding new mud.
While Barn Swallows are not likely to visit your bird feeder, you can go visit them in their common habitats. Enjoy their fast and aerodynamic flights and try to identify them if you can! To help swallow populations, learn about the effect of pesticides on the food web. They require insects for their diets, so killing insects will harm insectivores. Additionally, if you fish, discard of fishing line properly so birds do not get tangled in the lines.
* Thanks to allaboutbirds.org.