Migratory passerine bird, and the most widespread species of swallow
Barn swallow
H. rustica at Melikhovo, Russia
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Hirundinidae
Genus:
Hirundo
Species:
H. rustica
Binomial name
Hirundo rustica
Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies
6, see text
Range of H. rustica
Breeding
Resident
Passage
Non-breeding
Synonyms
Hirundo erythrogaster(Boddaert, 1783)
The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world, occurring on all continents, with vagrants reported even in Antarctica.[2][3] It appears to have the largest natural distribution of any of the world's passerines, ranging over 251 million square kilometres globally.[citation needed] It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply forked tail. In Anglophone Europe, it is just called the swallow; in northern Europe, it is the only member of family Hirundinidae called a "swallow" rather than a "martin".[citation needed]
There are six subspecies of barn swallow, which breed across the Northern Hemisphere.[2] Two subspecies, (H. r. savignii and H. r. transitiva) have fairly restricted ranges in the Nile valley and eastern Mediterranean, respectively.[2] The other four are more widespread, with winter ranges covering much of the Southern Hemisphere.[4]
The barn swallow is a bird of open country that normally nests in man-made structures and consequently has spread with human expansion. It builds a cup nest from mud pellets in barns or similar structures and feeds on insects caught in flight.[5] This species lives in close association with humans, and its insect-eating habits mean that it is tolerated by humans; this acceptance was reinforced in the past by superstitions regarding the bird and its nest.[citation needed] There are frequent cultural references to the barn swallow in literary and religious works due to both its living in close proximity to humans and its annual migration.[citation needed] The barn swallow is the national bird of Austria and Estonia.[citation needed]
^BirdLife International (2019). "Hirundo rustica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T22712252A137668645. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22712252A137668645.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ abcScordato, Elizabeth S.C.; Safran, Rebecca J. (2014). "Geographic variation in sexual selection and implications for speciation in the Barn Swallow". Avian Research. 5. doi:10.1186/s40657-014-0008-4.
^Kaufman, Ken (2017). "The Barn Swallow Is Slowly Conquering the World". Audubon. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A. (2014). "Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)". Handbook of the Birds of the World: Alive. Spain: Lynx Edicions.
^"Barn Swallow | Audubon Field Guide". www.audubon.org. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
The barnswallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world, occurring on all continents, with vagrants reported even in...
sexual adornment, since the tail is frequently longer in males. In barnswallows, the tail of the male is 18% longer than those of the female, and females...
widespread Palaeoarctic swallows such as the barnswallow (Hirundo rustica), sand martin (Riparia riparia) or red-rumped swallow (Cecropis daurica). In...
swallows are similar in body plumage colouring to the related barnswallow species but lack the characteristic fork-shaped tail of the barnswallow prominent...
its family, starting towards the end of March, just in advance of the barnswallow. In northern Ohio, they arrive in numbers by mid-April, about 10 days...
swift (Apus apus) is a medium-sized bird, superficially similar to the barnswallow or house martin but somewhat larger, though not stemming from those passerine...
Hirundinidae (swallows and martins). The genus name is Latin for a swallow. These are the typical swallows, including the widespread barnswallow. Many of...
Hirundo nigrorufa Barnswallow, Hirundo rustica (range extends beyond Africa, this is also the European swallow) Wire-tailed swallow, Hirundo smithii smithii...
The tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) is a migratory bird of the family Hirundinidae. Found in the Americas, the tree swallow was first described in...
It differs from the barnswallow and the closely related welcome swallow in its shorter and less forked tail. The Pacific swallow builds a neat cup-shaped...
with that of wintering barnswallow (Hirundo rustica), but the latter is readily separable by its blue breast band. Welcome swallows readily breed close...
impact of construction and airport operations on a nearby colony of barnswallows. Construction of the airport commenced on 24 August 2007, immediately...
explain the sudden annual disappearance of birds like the white stork and barnswallow. Besides migration, some theories of the time held that they turned into...
house martins are closely related to other swallows that build mud nests, particularly the Hirundo barnswallows. They breed only in Europe, Asia and the...
The cave swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) is a medium-sized, squarish-tailed swallow belonging to the same genus as the more familiar and widespread cliff...
piscivore but it has been observed leaping out of the water and catching barnswallows in flight. Hydrocynus vittatus was first formally described as Hydrocyon...
owls. In the case of the barnswallows, all ages of swallow as well as possibly eggs were eaten. 65 of 95 monitoring barnswallow nests were consumed by...
It differs from the barnswallow and the closely related welcome swallow in its shorter and less forked tail. The hill swallow builds a neat cup-shaped...
martin (Progne subis) is a passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is the largest swallow in North America. Despite its name, the purple martin...
version, Lasta 3, flew on February 26, 2009. Lasta is the Serbian word for barnswallow. The Lasta was originally developed to be a replacement of the Utva 75...
Ptyonoprogne crag martins resemble those of typical Hirundo species like the barnswallow, the research showed that if Delichon, Cecropis and Petrochelidon are...
cunicularia arubensis No Australia Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae No Austria Barnswallow Hirundo rustica Yes Bahamas American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Yes...
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