Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica · Swallows
The Barn Swallow is a graceful and familiar bird, recognized by its sleek, iridescent blue-black upperparts and deeply forked tail. This agile flyer is often seen darting over open fields and water, capturing insects mid-flight. Closely associated with human settlements, it frequently nests in man-made structures across its vast Northern Hemisphere breeding range.
Explore the full field guideMigratorySmall sizeTwittering voiceInsectivorous diet
57 calls·first heard Jul 1·last 59m ago
When it's heardpeak 11a · fall
5a12p9p
How to know it
- Glistening steel-blue back, wings, and deeply forked tail. Rufous to tawny underparts with a rusty forehead and throat, separated from the paler belly by a dark blue breast band.
- Long, deeply forked tail with white spots visible on the outer end of the upper tail, especially in flight. Males typically have longer outer tail streamers than females.
- Similar to males but generally less vibrantly colored, with a less glossy blue on the upperparts and breast band, and shorter outer tail streamers.
- Browner overall with a paler rufous face and whiter underparts, lacking the elongated tail streamers of adults.