#hirundinidae

[herpsandbirds]

Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina), family Hirundinidae, order Passeriformes, NM, USA

photograph by Kevin Harding

[iridescent-wildlife]

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). Family Hirundinidae, order Passeriformes.

Barn Swallows in North America tend to have two broods per breeding season. Occasionally the first year birds from the first brood of the year will assist in feeding the young birds from the second brood. I believe that is happening in these photos.

Oklahoma, USA. August 2020.

[spinus-pinus]

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

3/10/2024 San Joaquin Marsh, Orange County, California

[birds-in-posts]

Their parents have been swooping at us everytime we try to leave the house. Location: Kentucky, USA

A trio of immature barn swallows (Hirundo rustica)! Haven't developed their signature blue backs yet, awww

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Bringin' in the Barn Swallow

The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world, present on every continent- some wandering individuals have even made it to Antarctica. They prefer grasslands and meadows but will readily nest near farmland, in barns, or under bridges or the eaves of houses. The only areas they avoid are those with dense vegetation, such as forests and jungles, or deserts.

Barn swallows live in loose groups of up to a dozen pairs, and routinely use the same nesting sites from year to year. From April to August they reside in the northern hemisphere; males arrive at the site first and construct a nest from mud, sticks, and grass. They then advertise to females through acrobatic flights. Once a female selects a mate the pair care for the eggs together, though infidelity is not uncommon. Clutches consist of 3-7 eggs, and pairs often raise two sets of clutches in a season. Each one takes only 13-15 days to hatch, fledge within 20 days, and leave the nest completely about 2 weeks after first learning to fly. Most adults live an average of 4 years in the wild.

When the breeding season ends in August, most adults and capable juveniles migrate to the southern hemisphere; the exception is populations living close to the equator, where conditions remain ideal year-round. Migration routes can cover over 11,660 km (7,250 mi) one-way.

H. rustica is an insectivore, and is quite adept at catching its prey in the air. Their diet includes flies , grasshoppers , crickets , dragonflies , beetles , moths aphids, beetles, and other flying insects. Their primary predators are birds of prey, especially hawks, falcons, and kestrels. Eggs and chicks are also vulnerable to snakes, and mammals such as raccoons, squirrels, rats, mice, weasels, and cats.

Adult barn swallows are fairly small, only 14 to 20 cm (5.5 to 7.87 in) long, with a wingspan of 32 to 34 cm (12 to 13 in). They weigh between 17 and 20 g (0.5 and 0.7 oz). They are dark metallic blue over the head, back, and wings, and have an orange or white underbelly. Males and females look quite similar, although the color is usually more vivid in males and they have longer tail streamers.

Conservation status: Due to their large population and cosmopolitan distribution, the barn swallow is considered Least Concern by the IUCN. However, researchers have noted a decline in nests in natural areas, in favor of more urban locations; some pairs have also been recorded rearing a third clutch in their wintering range.

Images

Ad Konings

Ferran Pestaña

Craig Brelsford

[fullfrontalbirds]

Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)

© Augusto Faustino

[all-bird-creechur]

Red-breasted Swallow Cecropis semirufa

It is found over most of Africa south of the Sahara. The red-breasted swallow is a bird of dry open country. It builds a closed mud nest with a tubular entrance in a cavity or under bridges and similar structures.

img source

[birds--daily]

day 37

today's bird (and yesterday's mystery swallow) is the northern rough-winged swallow!

- the northern rough-winged swallow gets its name from tiny hooks on the leading edge of its primary feathers!

- its genus name Stelgidopteryx means "scraper wing" and its species name serripennis means "saw feather"

- it takes swallows around 100 days to finish growing new feathers (which they molt while flying)