Birds · Passeriformes · Hirundinidae

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It makes one of the most extraordinary migrations of any songbird, covering up to 11,000 km between its northern breeding grounds and its southern wintering grounds.

Weight

16 g – 22 g

Size

15 cm – 20 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

GrasslandInsectivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Grassland

97countries 261parks5same family

Fun facts

It migrates up to 11,000 km between its breeding and wintering grounds.
It catches flying insects on the wing.
It can raise up to 2 broods a year.
comportamientoIt returns each year to nest in exactly the same spot, often reusing and repairing the structure from previous seasons.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open farmland and rural country across almost the whole Northern Hemisphere; it winters in South America, Africa and southern Asia
Birth weight: Weight at hatching not found as a precise figure in the sources consulted
Size at birth: Blind and naked at hatching
Sexual maturity: 1 year
Gestation / incubation: 13-16 days
Litter / clutch size: 3 to 6 eggs per clutch (most commonly 4-5), up to 2 broods a year
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of 15 years