BARN SWALLOW GALLERY
(Hirundo rustica)
eBird describes the Barn Swallow as follows: Recognizable even at a distance by its extremely long forked tail and dark rump. Spends a lot of time in flight, zipping over fields and ponds in search of insects. Appears dark above (navy blue in good light) and buffy to white below. Typically nests near people, in barns, under docks and other structures.
The Birds of Texas Field Guide adds these comments about the Barn Swallow: This sleek swallow has a blue back, a cinnamon belly and a reddish brown chin. Has a deeply forked tail, the only one of the seven swallow species in Texas to sport a tail like this. It rarely glides in flight like other swallows, so look for continuous flapping. Drinks in flight, skimming the water. Migrates to South America.
Early on the morning of Friday, May 15, 2020, I found myself at Scout Pond at Warbler Woods in Cibolo, Texas. At first, I was feeling quite lonely, with no people around, and no birds either. In short order, barn swallows started skimming the surface of Scout Pond (which, by the way, was quite full after recent rains). Soon thereafter, I spotted a beautiful blue bird perched in one of the trees lining the shore of the pond. It was beautiful, and I was quite sure I had stumbled upon something exotic. After about 15 minutes, this bird was joined by another, and it perched about two and a half feet away. It too was a beautiful bird and they both perched like statues (except for an occasional yawn or scratch) for another 15 minutes. After they left, I tried to ID them on Merlin, and it said the first choice based on my description was an Eastern Bluebird. Well, eventually a more seasoned birder happened along and I showed her a picture. She positively identified the birds as Barn Swallows. I was devastated (not really!) but realized even birds with the most mundane names can provide lots of beauty and entertainment. I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took that morning.
Some “Cool Facts” about Barn Swallows From All About Birds…
- An unmated male Barn Swallow may kill the nestlings of a nesting pair. His actions often succeed in breaking up the pair and afford him the opportunity to mate with the female.
- The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow species in the world. It breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere and winters in much of the Southern Hemisphere.
- Barn Swallows once nested in caves throughout North America, but now build their nests almost exclusively on human-made structures. Today the only North American Barn Swallow population that still regularly uses caves as nest sites occurs in the Channel Islands off the California coast.
- Barn Swallow parents sometimes get help from other birds to feed their young. These “helpers at the nest” are usually older siblings from previous clutches, but unrelated juveniles may help as well.
- Although the killing of egrets is often cited for inspiring the U.S. conservation movement, it was the millinery (hat-making) trade’s impact on Barn Swallows that prompted naturalist George Bird Grinnell’s 1886 Forest & Stream editorial decrying the waste of bird life. His essay led to the founding of the first Audubon Society.
- According to legend, the Barn Swallow got its forked tail because it stole fire from the gods to bring to people. An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.
- The oldest known Barn Swallow in North America was at least 10 years old, when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in Maryland.