The barn swallow is a small, agile songbird with a deeply forked tail. It is found across much of the world and is a symbol of spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
Interesting facts
- It is the most widespread swallow in the world.
- Females prefer males with longer tail streamers.
- Swallows build cup-shaped nests from mud pellets, usually inside barns and sheds.
- They drink by skimming the surface of ponds in flight.
- Up to about three million swallows roost in reedbeds at Mount Moreland, near Durban, South Africa.
- The saying ‘one swallow does not make a summer’ dates back to Aristotle.
Behaviour
Swallows catch insects on the wing, swooping low over fields and water. They often gather on wires before migration.
Breeding and young
Pairs lay four or five eggs in a mud nest and often raise two broods a year, sometimes reusing the same nest for years.
Threats and conservation
Declines in flying insects, loss of nesting sites in modern farm buildings and harsh weather during migration.
Where to see it
- Farms and villages across Europe and North America in summer
- Mount Moreland reedbeds, near Durban, South Africa, in summer (October to April)
- Wetlands and open country worldwide
- Telephone wires in late summer before migration
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
How to Record Your Sightings for Science (eBird, iNaturalist)
