Barn Swallow

Scientific Name: Hirundo rustica
Malay Name: Layang-layang Hijrah
Chinese Name: 家燕

Range:
Breeding Range: (Worldwide) widespread

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: rustica, transitiva, savignii, gutturalis, tytleri, saturata, mandschurica, erythrogaster.

Local Subspecies: mandschurica, gutturalis, saturata

Size: 15 cm

Identification:
Forehead rufous chestnut, upperparts steel blue, pale or rufous underparts, variable depending on subspecies. Told apart from Pacific Swallow by presence of steel-blue breastband. Told apart from sand martin by more deeply forked tail.

Similar looking species: Sand Martin, Pacific Swallow, Asian House Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Siberian House Martin

Habitat: Widespread.

Behaviour/Ecology: Told apart from other airborne birds by flying by sweeping wings backwards.

Local Status: Common migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2019)

Location: Widespread.

Featured articles:

• Rufous Barn Swallows in Singapore? (Science)
• Singapore Bird Database is 1 year old (Science)

Featured reports: Nov 2022

Past accepted records in our database:

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Barn Swallow at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Barn Swallow at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Barn Swallow at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Barn Swallow at NSRCC. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Barn Swallow at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap