Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Also called swallow.
The only North American swallow with a genuinely long forked tail, which settles it in flight without any other character. It nests on beams and ledges in barns, bridges and porches.
- Size
- Sparrow-sized — 15–19 cm
- Bill
- Thin and pointed
- Where
- open field, water, yard
- Season
- summer
What it looks like
Glossy steel-blue above with a rusty forehead and throat, buff-orange underparts and a deeply forked tail with long outer streamers.
The checks that confirm it
- A deeply forked tail with long trailing streamers.
- Rusty-orange throat and forehead against glossy blue.
- Flies low and fast over grass and water, turning constantly.
- Builds a cup of mud pellets on a ledge or beam.
Voice
A continuous liquid twittering, with a sharp 'vit-vit' when alarmed.
Attracting it
An open structure to nest in, and unmown grass and water for insects. They eat an enormous quantity of flying insects.
Confused with
Iridescent blue-green above and clean white below, with a shallow notched tail.
Much larger and bulkier; males are entirely dark glossy purple-blue.
Questions about this bird
How do you identify a barn swallow?
A deeply forked tail with long trailing streamers. Rusty-orange throat and forehead against glossy blue.
What does a barn swallow sound like?
A continuous liquid twittering, with a sharp 'vit-vit' when alarmed.
How do you attract a barn swallow?
An open structure to nest in, and unmown grass and water for insects. They eat an enormous quantity of flying insects.