Barn swallow

[ HIRUNDO RUSTICA ]

Throughout North America, Europe and Asia, the barn swallow wings its way into hearts with its graceful swooping flight and cheerful squeaky calls. In fact, this beloved songbird has such a long association with humans that it rarely nests in natural settings, preferring to build its mud nests under eaves or bridges. It is usually a welcome guest because it has a prodigious appetite for insects, consuming 1,000 or more per meal. On the Pacific Coast, the barn swallows’ southern breeding grounds extend as far as San Diego. Their narrow, pointed wings and deeply forked tails give them greater dexterity in flight than any other swallow and help them attract partners. Those with longer and more elegant feathers get the best mates.

NATURAL HISTORY

Contrary to popular legend, it was the slaughter of barn swallows, not egrets, by the millinery trade in the latter part of the 19th century that prompted American naturalist George Bird Grinnell to write his famous editorial in 1886 opposing the practice. Appearing in Forest and Stream magazine, the piece led to the formation of the Audubon Society.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

An elegant swallow with long wings and tail, glittering steely blue back and rusty orange underparts.