Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Family: Swallows · Status: Very common migrant · Size: 15 cm · Conservation: Least Concern

Range

Breeds across the Holarctic, from Europe and North Africa through Asia to North America; winters to sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and South America.

Identification

Dark upperparts with blue gloss; deeply forked tail (with long outer streamers in breeding plumage); whitish undertail coverts. Rufous forehead, throat and upper breast; prominent dark-breast band; underparts variably white to rufous; white underwing coverts. Juvenile is duller with shorter outer tail feathers. Told apart from Pacific Swallow by complete dark breast-band, longer deeply forked tail, and paler underparts. Told apart from Sand Martin by blue (not brown) upperparts and deeper tail fork; from Asian House Martin and Siberian House Martin by rufous colouration and lack of white rump; from Eastern Red-rumped Swallow by unstreaked underparts and absence of pale rump.

Habitat

Widespread over open ground, wetlands, coastal areas, grasslands, and agricultural areas.

Behaviour

Forages aerially with swift, sweeping flight.