Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Europese Swael |
| Albanian | Dallëndyshe bishtgërshërë |
| Arabic | سنونو شائع |
| Armenian | Գյուղական ծիծեռնակ |
| Assamese | তেলটুপি |
| Asturian | Andarina comñn |
| Azerbaijani | Kənd qaranquşu |
| Bangla | আবাবিল |
| Basque | Enara arrunta |
| Bulgarian | Селска лястовица |
| Catalan | oreneta comuna |
| Chinese | 家燕 |
| Chinese (Hong Kong SAR China) | 家燕 |
| Chinese (SIM) | 家燕 |
| Croatian | lastavica |
| Czech | vlaštovka obecná |
| Danish | Landsvale |
| Dutch | Boerenzwaluw |
| English | Barn Swallow |
| English (United States) | Barn Swallow |
| Faroese | Løðusvala |
| Finnish | haarapääsky |
| French | Hirondelle rustique |
| French (France) | Hirondelle rustique |
| Galician | Anduriña común |
| German | Rauchschwalbe |
| Greek | Σταβλοχελίδονο |
| Gujarati | શિયાળુ તારોડિયું |
| Haitian Creole (Haiti) | Irondèl Ke Long |
| Hebrew | סנונית רפתות |
| Hindi | सामान्य अबाबील |
| Hungarian | Füsti fecske |
| Icelandic | Landsvala |
| Indonesian | Layang-layang asia |
| Italian | Rondine |
| Japanese | ツバメ |
| Korean | 제비 |
| Latvian | Bezdelīga |
| Lithuanian | Šelmeninė kregždė |
| Malayalam | വയൽക്കോതിക്കത്രിക |
| Marathi | माळ भिंगरी |
| Mongolian | Асрын хараацай |
| Norwegian | låvesvale |
| Odia | ଟାଙ୍ଗିଆ ଚଢ଼େଇ |
| Persian | پرستوی معمولی |
| Polish | dymówka |
| Portuguese (Angola) | Andorinha-das-chaminés |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | andorinha-de-bando |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Andorinha-das-chaminés |
| Romanian | Rândunică |
| Russian | Деревенская ласточка |
| Serbian | Seoska lasta |
| Slovak | lastovička obyčajná |
| Slovenian | Kmečka lastovka |
| Spanish | Golondrina Común |
| Spanish (Argentina) | Golondrina Tijerita |
| Spanish (Chile) | Golondrina bermeja |
| Spanish (Costa Rica) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Cuba) | Golondrina cola de tijera |
| Spanish (Dominican Republic) | Golondrina Cola de Tijera |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Honduras) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Panama) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Paraguay) | Golondrina tijerita |
| Spanish (Peru) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Puerto Rico) | Golondrina Horquillada |
| Spanish (Spain) | Golondrina común |
| Spanish (Uruguay) | Golondrina Tijereta |
| Spanish (Venezuela) | Golondrina de Horquilla |
| Swedish | ladusvala |
| Telugu | వాన కోయిల |
| Thai | นกนางแอ่นบ้าน |
| Turkish | Kır Kırlangıcı |
| Ukrainian | Ластівка сільська |
Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758
Definitions
- HIRUNDO
- hirundo
- rustica
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Scientific name definitions
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Photos from this Account
Adult (American)
The most widespread and abundant swallow in the world, recognizable by its long, deeply forked tail and dark blue upperparts. Different subspecies groups vary in size, throat and underpart color, and length of tail streamers.
Adult (American)
Adult "American" Barn Swallows have a rusty forehead and throat, an incomplete breast band, and cinnamon underparts.
Adult (White-bellied)
Adult "White-bellied" Barn Swallows breeding in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia have a whitish belly and a thick blue band across the chest.
Adult (White-bellied)
Males and females are similar in appearance, but males have longer outer tail feathers than females
Adult (Buff-bellied)
Adult "Buff-bellied" Barn Swallows breeding in East Asia are similar to "American" Barn Swallows in appearance, but have a larger rusty throat patch.
Adult (Tytler's)
Adult "Tytler's" Barn Swallows breeding in Siberia and northern Mongolia have reddish-orange underparts and a narrow, sometimes-broken breast band.
Adult (Levant)
Adult "Levant" Barn Swallows breeding in western Asia have rich orange underparts and a thick blue breast band.
Adult (Egyptian)
Adult "Egyptian" Barn Swallows have dark reddish-orange underparts and a thick dark blue breast band.
Adult (American)
Slender-bodied with a long, deeply forked tail. From below, the underparts vary from pale cinnamon or tawny to bright cinnamon.
Adult (American)
Flies with fluid wingbeats making quick turns and dives; rarely glides. Tail is long and deeply forked with a white band across it.
Adult (White-bellied)
In flight, note "White-bellied" Barn Swallows' white underparts and white underwing coverts.
Juvenile (American)
Juvenile "American" Barn Swallows are dark above and pale cinnamon below with a rich rusty throat and forehead. Their tail is also shorter without the deep fork.
Immature (Levant)
Immatures are duller than adults and have shorter tails.
Juvenile (White-bellied)
Juvenile "White-bellied" Barn Swallows have a white belly and tawny throat. The tail is also shorter without the deep fork.
Juvenile (American)
Preferred nest sites include eaves, rafters, and cross beams of barns, sheds and stables, as well as the undersides of bridges, wharfs, and culverts.
Adult (American)
Long and slender with a deeply forked tail. In "American" Barn Swallows, the color of the underparts varies from buffy to rich cinnamon with the females typically having paler underparts.
Adult (American)
Collects mud in bill to build a mud and grass nest—often tucked under the eaves of barns and stables, on structures near playing fields, or under bridges.
Flock (American)
Often seen in flocks in open habitats from fields, parks, and roadway edges to marshes, meadows, ponds, and coastal waters.
Barn Swallow in flight.
Barn Swallows are medium-sized swallows with a long forked tail. Adults (North American ssp. erythrogaster) have steely-blue upperparts, rufous underparts, and chestnut foreheads. Males and females are similar in appearance.
Barn Swallow (upper left) and Cliff Swallows.
The length of the outermost tail-streamers varies between the sexes and ages, but is always much greater than in any other North American swallow species. There is some sex- and age-related variability in darkness of the chestnut underparts (see Formative or Definitive birds, below), but on average Barn Swallows are much rustier in color than the next most similar species, the Cliff Swallow.
Barn Swallows undergoing Prejuvenile Molt (14 July).
At hatching, Barn Swallows are naked except for pale smoke-gray or light-drab tufts of natal down about 5 mm long on forehead, scapulars, occiput, and middorsal region. Pin feathers begin to appear by day 4, and by day 15 Juvenile body-feather development is largely completed.
Juvenile Barn Swallow (13 July).
Juvenile Plumage is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage but much duller. Crown and nape fuscous black with faint metallic greenish sheen; remainder of upperparts much duller and sheen more greenish. Upperwing coverts edged buff to reddish brown; forehead brownish buff or fawn color; chin and throat vinaceous cinnamon; blackish breast band mixed with vinaceous cinnamon. The bill is cream colored, and the mouth and gape are bright yellow to orangish yellow. Outer rectrices shorter and blunter at tips. Sexes similar in appearance.
Barn Swallow completing Preformative Molt (29 June).
The Preformative Molt is complete and usually takes place on the Mexican to South American winter grounds. However, some birds may complete molt in June or later on summer grounds after northbound migration. These late-molting birds may represent birds that wintered farther north, in the southern United States or Mexico, a trend that appeared to be increasing during the latter half of the 20th century and first decades of the 21st century. Note the remaining juvenile head feathers and outer primaries, the latter pointed and brownish.
Formative Barn Swallow.
This bird appears not to have replaced any flight feathers during the Preformative Molt, showing steely blue formative back feathers and proximal upperwing secondary coverts, contrasting with brownish juvenile remiges and primary coverts. Further study is needed on the Preformative Molt in Barn Swallows, which may be evolving. Although sexes are similar in terms of juvenile wing and tail feathers, the bright head and face pattern suggests this is a Formative male.
Formative or Definitive Basic female (left) and male (right) Barn Swallows (11 May).
Males and females are similar in appearance, but males have longer outer tail-streamers than females and tend to have darker chestnut underparts. The extent of tawny saturation to the underparts is variable, in both sexes and all ages; the relatively pale underparts of each respective sex suggests that both of these birds may be in Formative Plumage.
Formative or Definitive Basic male Barn Swallow (18 April).
Lores and cheeks fuscous or fuscous black; sides of neck like crown; chin and throat chestnut to cinnamon rufous, separated from remainder of underparts by incomplete breast-band of dull metallic blue or greenish feathers. The bright and dark plumage and long tail indicate an adult male.
Formative or Definitive Basic male Barn Swallow in flight (17 April).
Upperparts are metallic indigo blue to slightly purplish blue. The wings are chaetura black to chaetura drab or fuscous on inner webs, except lesser coverts, which are similar to back. Note the bright plumage and long tail, indicating male.
Formative or Definitive Basic male Barn Swallow in flight (29 May).
Tail deeply forked, all feathers except middle pair with conspicuous large white or buffy white spot on inner web, largest and most oblong on outer pair.
Formative or Definitive Basic Barn Swallow in flight (14 May).
Underparts, including wing-lining, varies from chestnut to pale pinkish buff. The plumage and tail length suggest either a Formative male or a Definitive Basic female.
Formative or Definitive Basic female Barn Swallow (08 July).
The dull plumage and worn wings and tail (from nesting) suggests an adult female.
Formative or Definitive Basic Leucistic Barn Swallow.
Albinism, partial albinism, and leucism occur uncommonly in Barn Swallows under natural conditions. The dark (not red) eye indicates that this is a leucistic bird rather than an albino. A pure albino swallow would probably not survive long given their dependence on eyesight for foraging. The short tail indicates a Juvenile.
Barn Swallow (Sweden).
Presumably subspecies H. r. rustica (White-bellied Barn Swallow). Breeds from western Europe east to Russia, and south to northwestern Africa, east, exclusive of parts of the Middle East, to south-central Asia; overwinters in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Ventrum white to pale buff or pinkish; breast band moderately broad and complete; throat maroon.
Barn Swallow (Egypt).
Presumably subspecies H. r. savignii (Egyptian Barn Swallow). Resident in north-central Egypt. Ventrum is dark reddish brown or rufescent; averages smaller.
Barn Swallow (Russia).
Presumably subspecies H. r. tytleri (Tytler's Barn Swallow). Breeds from central Siberia south to northern Mongolia and northeastern China; overwinters in southeastern Asia. Breast band is narrow and complete (although it is sometimes broken).
Barn Swallow (Taiwan).
Presumably subspecies H. r. gutturalis (Buff-bellied Barn Swallow). Breeds from the Himalaya region east and north through much of China to the Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan south to southern China, including Taiwan and Hainan; overwinters from Southeast Asia south to northern Australia and west to India and eastern and southern Africa. Phenotypically variable, with breast band narrow and often broken, relatively short tail, and large red throat patch.
Barn Swallow (United States).
Presumably subspecies H. r. erythrogaster (American Barn Swallow). Breeds across North America and in South America; overwinters in the Americas. Ventrum is chestnut.
Barn Swallow with prey item.
Primarily takes flying insects at all times of year.
Barn Swallow drinking.
Drinks exclusively on the wing, by skimming water surface and lapping up water with lower mandible.
Barn Swallow in flight.
Barn Swallows fly at various heights from just above the ground to ≥25 m. Flight consists of longer bursts of straight flight than of other swallows; birds frequently alter course slightly to the left or right, and these shifts cancel each other, leading to a straight course.
Barn Swallow preening.
Barn Swallows usually preen at perch sites near their nest; preening peaks in early morning and evening and consists of quick movements of the beak through feathers, especially of wing and tail, ending with the bird shaking its entire body.
Barn Swallows copulating.
Usually socially monogamous but genetically polygamous.
Mixed group of swallows.
Cattle Egret with Barn Swallow prey.
Barn Swallow on nest.
The mud nest is either fastened to a vertical wall underneath a horizontal overhang, often near juncture of wall and ceiling, or built on top of a horizontal ledge or other substrate underneath an overhang.
Barn Swallow collecting mud for nest.
Birds land at mud source and collect mud in their bill using the lower mandible as a trowel, often mixing the mud with grass stems, and attach the mud pellets to a vertical wall or on top of flat object
Barn Swallow collecting mud for nest.
Both sexes build the nest, but the female seems to take a more active role, especially in shaping the nest.
Barn Swallow collecting nesting material.
Nests often have distinct layers of mud, reflecting different mud sources giving nests a striped appearance; sometimes mud layers are interspersed with layers of grass stems. Mud has more grass mixed into it than in the mud nest of Cliff Swallows.
Barn Swallow collecting nesting material.
Interior of nest is lined with fine grass stems, horsehair, strands of algae, and often profusely with feathers.
Barn Swallow nest with eggs.
Egg ground color is creamy white or pinkish white and slightly glossy, with small spots and dots of reddish brown, dark brown, purplish brown, and cinnamon; also sparingly marked with lilac, lavender, and vinaceous gray.
Barn Swallow on nest.
In North America, both sexes incubate, but females incubate more than males.
Barn Swallow nest with nestlings and eggs.
Young hatch naked except for pale smoke-gray tufts of natal down about 5 mm long on forehead, scapulars, occiput, and middorsal region; bill cream-colored.
Juvenile Barn Swallows on nest.
Barn Swallow feeding young.
Juveniles are fed by their parents for several days, possibly up to a week, after fledging; family groups have broken up entirely by 2 weeks after fledging. At first juveniles are usually fed while perched, but eventually they begin taking food from their parents in flight, flying to meet incoming adult, and food is transferred in midair.
Macaulay Library Photos for Barn Swallow
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
