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Photo by Jim Parrish
Photo Copyright Jim Parrish
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G5
State (S-rank): S5B
External links
General information
The barn swallow, Hirundo rustica, is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere during its breeding season. It migrates southward into Central America, South America, Africa, and southern Asia for winter. The species is a common breeder in Utah, where it prefers open habitats. Barn swallows build nests on rafters in barns and other buildings, under bridges, and on cliffs. Individuals commonly return to same breeding area each year, and may even re-use their old nests.
Females generally lay two clutches of four or five eggs each year; eggs hatch in 13 to 17 days, and the young, which fledge after an additional 18 to 23 days, are tended by both parents. The barn swallow typically eats insects that it catches while in flight.
Species range
BREEDING: south-coastal and southeastern Alaska, across much of Canada south through much of U.S. to central Mexico; also eastern Buenos Aires province, Argentina, in early 1980s (Ridgely and Tudor 1989); across Eurasia to Mediterranean region, northern Africa, China, Japan. NON-BREEDING: mainly South America, regularly from Costa Rica and West Indies to Tierra del Fuego (but in low numbers south of central Chile and northern Argentina, Ridgely and Tudor 1989); Africa and southern Asia; uncommon in Puerto Rico. Accidental in Hawaii.
Migration
Arrives in much of U.S. in April, Alaska in May (Terres 1980). Common migrant in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Migrates through Costa Rica mainly early to mid-August through October and early March-late May or early June (Stiles and Skutch 1989). In South America mainly August to May (though some may linger throughout year) (Hilty and Brown 1986, Ridgely and Tudor 1989). See Turner and Rose 1989 for information on Old World migrations.
Habitat
Open situations, less frequently in partly open habitats, frequently near water (AOU 1983). Wintering concentrations often associated with sugar cane fields (Hilty and Brown 1986, Ridgely and Tudor 1989). Nests in barns or other buildings, under bridges, in caves or cliff crevices, usually on vertical surface close to ceiling. Commonly reuses old nests. Usually returns to same nesting area in successive years; yearlings often return to within 30 km or closer to natal site (Turner and Rose 1989, Shields 1984).
Food habits
Flies over open land and water and forages on insects; forages nearer to the ground than other swallows (usually not greater than 10 meters and often less than 1 meter above the ground) (Brown and Brown 1999). Feeds opportunistically on a wide variety of flying insects; primarily true flies (Diptera), but also beetles, true bugs, leafhoppers, Hymenoptera, dragonflies and damselflies, butterflies and moths, and occasionally grasshoppers and crickets (Beal 1918, Hoskyn 1988). Usually forages within a few hundred meters of nest when breeding. Occasionally may take insects from ground or vegetation; rarely eats berries (Beal 1918).
Ecology
Nonbreeding: may form flocks of up to thousands.
Reproductive characteristics
Clutch size is usually 4-5. Incubation lasts 13-17 days (less often 11-19 days), mainly or totally (e.g., in Europe) by female. Often 2 broods, except in far north. Young are tended by both adults, fledge at 18-23 days, stay together and are fed by parents for about a week. Females first breed at 1 year, a few males remain unpaired until 2 years old. Adults often have same mate in successive years (Shields 1984). Juveniles may help feed young of second brood.
Threats or limiting factors
See Turner and Rose 1989 for comments on status in Old World. In general, has benefited from presence of humans and their structures. Small numbers inadvertently killed by intentional spraying of Dickcissel (SPIZA AMERICANA) roosts in Venezuela in non-breeding season (Basili and Temple 1999). On balance, human activity has had strongly positive effects on this species: construction of artificial structures has provided abundant nesting sites, leading to population size that is probably several orders of magnitude greater than before European settlement of North America. Barn Swallows are popular with people, and farmers often protect (rarely persecute) the birds on their property. The species seems to have adapted well to nesting in human-altered habitats in North America and worldwide. House Sparrows can be serious nest-site competitors, apparently extirpating Barn Swallows from parts of New England in 1800s (Brewster 1906); sparrows reduced Barn Swallow fledging success by 45% at 1 site in Maryland (Weisheit and Creighton 1989). Cold and rainy weather occurring in late spring and early summer causes mortality among both adults (Brown and Brown 1999) and nestlings (Mason 1953, Anthony and Ely 1976) as result of starvation. (Brown and Brown, 1999)
References
- Biotics Database. 2005. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, NatureServe, and the network of Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers.
- Peterson, R. T., and V. M. Peterson. 1990. A field guide to western birds, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. 432 pp.
