Species group · Birds

Swallows

WAnimals has 3 species of swallow, all in the family Hirundinidae.

3 species
1 family
122 countries
285 parks
Weight
16 g – 34 g
Length
13 cm – 20 cm
Lifespan
5 – 6 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 3.

All 3 species of swallows on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

3 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 122 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • It migrates up to 11,000 km between its breeding and wintering grounds.

    From Barn Swallow

  • It catches flying insects on the wing.

    From Barn Swallow

  • It can raise up to 2 broods a year.

    From Barn Swallow

  • It builds a mud nest with a tunnel entrance, shaped like a bottle.

    From Red-rumped Swallow

  • Of the four European hirundines that build mud nests, it is the one that puts in the most work: a complete half-sphere to which it adds an entrance tunnel of up to 25 cm.

    From Red-rumped Swallow

  • The first Spanish record dates from 1921 in Cádiz; since then its expansion has been steady, and especially strong between 1950 and 1980.

    From Red-rumped Swallow

  • It is the subject of the "swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano" every 19 March, one of the best-known natural history traditions in California.

    From Cliff Swallow

  • It competes for nests with the barn swallow and converts them to its own design.

    From Cliff Swallow

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one