A delightful and agile bird that captures the imagination with its graceful flight and distinctive appearance. Found all around the world, barn swallows are among the most widespread of all birds, known for their adaptability and close association with human habitats. They are small birds with slender bodies, long pointed wings, and deeply forked tails, which make them easy to recognize as they dart and swoop through the air in search of insects.
One of the most striking features of the barn swallow is its plumage. Adults have glossy blue-black upperparts, a rusty-red throat and forehead, and a creamy-white underside. This colorful combination, along with their sleek and streamlined bodies, gives them a beautiful and elegant look. Their long tail feathers, which are more pronounced in males, add to their distinctive silhouette and aid in their impressive aerial maneuvers.
Barn swallows are expert fliers, spending most of their time on the wing catching insects. They are capable of incredible aerial feats, twisting and turning in mid-air to snatch their prey. This agile flight not only makes them efficient hunters but also provides a mesmerizing spectacle for those who watch them. Their diet mainly consists of flying insects like flies, beetles, and mosquitoes, which they catch with their wide, gaping beaks.
Barn swallows have incredible migratory behavior. These birds travel vast distances between their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere and their wintering grounds in the southern hemisphere. For example, swallows breeding in North America migrate to Central and South America for the winter, while those in Europe travel to Africa. These migrations can cover thousands of kilometers and require exceptional stamina and navigation skills.
Distribution
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia And Herz.
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian T.
British Virgin Is.
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Is. (Keeling)
Colombia
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
French Guiana
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Nort. Mariana Is.
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Helena
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre
Saint Vincent
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts & Nevis
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
São Tomé & Príncipe
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turks & Caicos
Turkey
UAE
US Minor Is.
US Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
