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| classis = [[Bird|Aves]] |
| classis = [[Bird|Aves]] |
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| ordo = [[Passerine|Passeriformes]] |
| ordo = [[Passerine|Passeriformes]] |
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| familia = |
| familia =ki |
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| genus = ''[[Hirundo]]'' |
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| species = '''''H. rustica''''' |
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| binomial = ''Hirundo rustica'' |
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| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758 |
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| range_map = Hirundo rustica.png |
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| range_map_width = 250px |
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| range_map_caption = |
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<div style="text-align:left;"><big>{{Legend2|#E0CF01|Breeding range|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#007D1D|Resident year-round|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#0080FF|Non-breeding range|border=1px solid #aaa}} |
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| synonyms = |
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''Hirundo erythrogaster'' |
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}} |
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The '''Barn Swallow''' (''Hirundo rustica'') is the world's most widespread species of [[swallow]].<ref name=Turner/> A distinctive [[passerine]] [[bird]] with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked [[tail]] and curved, pointed [[Bird flight#The wing|wings]], it occurs in [[Europe]], [[Asia]], [[Africa]] and the [[Americas]].<ref name=Turner>{{cite book |title=Swallows & martins: an identification guide and handbook |last=Turner |first=Angela K |coauthors= Rose, Chris |location=Boston |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |year=1989 |isbn= 0-395-51174-7 }} p164–169</ref> In [[Anglophone]] Europe it is just called the '''Swallow'''; in [[Northern Europe]] it is the only common species called a "swallow" rather than a "martin". |
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There are six subspecies of Barn Swallow, which breed across the [[Northern Hemisphere]]. Four are strongly [[bird migration|migratory]], and their wintering grounds cover much of the [[Southern Hemisphere]] as far south as central [[Argentina]], the [[Cape Province]] of [[South Africa]], and northern [[Australia]].<ref name= Turner/> Its huge range means that the Barn Swallow is not endangered, although there may be local population declines due to specific threats, such as the construction of an international airport near [[Durban]].<ref name= Guardian/> |
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The Barn Swallow is a bird of open country which normally uses man-made structures to breed and consequently has spread with human expansion. It builds a cup [[bird nest|nest]] from mud pellets in barns or similar structures and feeds on [[insect]]s caught in flight.<ref name=BWP/> |
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This species lives in close association with humans, and its insect-eating habits mean that it is tolerated by man; this acceptance was reinforced in the past by superstitions regarding the bird and its nest. There are frequent cultural references to the Barn Swallow in literary and religious works due to both its living in close proximity to humans, and its conspicuous annual migration.<ref name=Cocker/> The Barn Swallow is the [[list of national birds|national bird]] of [[Estonia]]. |
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==Description== |
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[[Image:Barn Swallow 800.jpg|thumb|left|''H. r. rustica'' in England]] |
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The adult male Barn Swallow is tall and slender and has a unique patch of fur much like a deer or elk on its slender neck. The feathers begin, but only slowly. ''H. r. rustica'' is 17–19 centimetres (6.7–7.5 in) long including 2–7 centimetres (0.8–2.8 in) of elongated outer tail feathers. It has a wingspan of 32–34.5 centimetres (12.6–13.6 in) and weighs 16–22 grams (0.56–0.78 oz). It has steel blue upperparts and a rufous forehead, chin and throat, which are separated from the off-white underparts by a broad dark blue breast band. The outer tail feathers are elongated, giving the distinctive deeply-forked "swallow tail." There is a line of white spots across the outer end of the upper tail.<ref name=BWP>{{cite book |last = Snow |first = David |coauthors = Perrins, Christopher M (editors) |title = The Birds of the Western Palearctic concise edition (2 volumes) |publisher = Oxford University Press |year = 1998 |location = Oxford |isbn = 0-19-854099-X }} p1061–1064</ref> |
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The female is similar to the male, but the tail streamers are shorter, the blue of the upperparts and breast band is less glossy, and the underparts more pale. The juvenile is browner and has a paler rufous face and whiter underparts. It also lacks the long tail streamers of the adult.<ref name=Turner/> |
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The song of the Barn Swallow is a cheerful warble, often ending with ''su-seer'' with the second note higher than the first but falling in pitch. Calls include ''witt'' or ''witt-witt'' and a loud ''splee-plink'' when excited.<ref name= BWP/> The alarm calls include a sharp ''siflitt'' for predators like [[cat]]s and a ''flitt-flitt'' for [[bird of prey|birds of prey]] like the [[Hobby (bird)|Hobby]].<ref name = Mullarney/> This species is fairly quiet on the wintering grounds.<ref name = Hilty/> |
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The distinctive combination of a red face and blue breast band render the adult Barn Swallow easy to distinguish from the African ''Hirundo'' species and from the [[Welcome Swallow]] (''Hirundo neoxena'') with which its range overlaps in [[Australasia]].<ref name = Turner/> In Africa the short tail streamers of the juvenile Barn Swallow invite confusion with juvenile [[Red-chested Swallow]] (''Hirundo lucida''), but the latter has a narrower breast band and more white in the tail.<ref name= Barlow/> |
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==Taxonomy== |
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The Barn Swallow was described by [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] in his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' in 1758 as ''Hirundo rustica'', characterised as ''H. rectricibus, exceptis duabus intermediis, macula alba notatîs''.<ref>{{la icon}} {{cite book |last=Linnaeus |first=C |authorlink=Carolus Linnaeus |title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. |publisher=Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii). |date=1758 |pages=p. 191 }}</ref> ''Hirundo'' is the [[Latin]] word for "swallow"; ''rusticus'' means "of the country."<ref name=name>uk.rec.birdwatching, scientific bird names explained. [http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/scinames.htm#examples Retrieved 28 November 2007]</ref> This species is the only one of that genus to have a range extending into the [[Americas]], with the majority of ''Hirundo'' species being native to Africa. This genus of blue-backed swallows is sometimes called the "barn swallows."<ref name=Turner/> |
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There are few [[taxonomy|taxonomic]] problems within the genus, but the Red-chested Swallow – a resident of [[West Africa]], the [[Congo River|Congo basin]] and [[Ethiopia]] – was formerly treated as a subspecies of Barn Swallow. The Red-chested Swallow is slightly smaller than its migratory relative, has a narrower blue breast-band, and the adult has shorter tail streamers. In [[bird flight|flight]], it also looks paler underneath than Barn Swallow.<ref name= Barlow>{{cite book |title=A Field Guide to birds of The Gambia and Senegal |last=Barlow |first=Clive |coauthors=Wacher, Tim; Disley, Tony |location=Robertsbridge |publisher=Pica Press |year=1997 |isbn=1-873403-32-1 }} p279</ref> [[Image:Hirundo rustica beentree.jpg|thumb|''H. r. rustica'' in Poland]] |
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===Subspecies=== |
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Six subspecies of Barn Swallow are generally recognized. In eastern Asia, a number of additional or alternative forms have been proposed, including ''saturata'' by [[Robert Ridgway]] in 1883,<Ref name= ssp/> ''kamtschatica'' by [[Benedykt Dybowski]] in 1883,<ref name=Dickinson/> and ''mandschurica'' by [[Wilhelm Meise]] in 1934.<Ref name= ssp/> Given the uncertainties over the validity of these forms,<ref name=Dickinson>{{cite journal |last=Dickinson |first=Edward C. |coauthors=René Dekker |year=2001 |title=Systematic notes on Asian birds. 13. A preliminary review of the Hirundinidae |journal=[[Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden]] |volume=335 |pages=127–144 |issn=0024-1652| url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/46434| accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref> this article follows the treatment of Turner and Rose.<ref name=Turner/> |
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*''H. r. rustica'', the nominate European subspecies, breeds in Europe and Asia, as far north as the [[Arctic Circle]], south to [[North Africa]], the [[Middle East]] and [[Sikkim]], and east to the [[Yenisei River]]. It migrates on a broad front to winter in Africa, [[Arabia]], and the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref name=Turner/> The Barn Swallows wintering in southern Africa are from across Eurasia to at least 91°E,<ref name =safring>{{cite web |title=European Swallow ''Hirundo rustica'' |work=SAFRING results |url= http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/safring/results/0493.htm |publisher=Avian Demography Unit, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town |
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|accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> and have been recorded as covering up to 11,660 kilometres (7,250 miles) on their annual migration.<ref name =euring2>{{cite web |title=Bird ringing across the world |work=EURING Newsletter - Volume 1, November 1996 |url= http://www.euring.org/about_euring/newsletter1/ringing_across_world.htm |publisher=Euring |accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> |
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*''H. r. transitiva'' was described by [[Ernst Hartert]] in 1910.<Ref name=ssp>{{cite journal |last=Dickinson |first=Edward C. |coauthors=Eck, Siegfried; Christopher M. Milensky |year=2002 |title=Systematic notes on Asian birds. 31. Eastern races of the barn swallow ''Hirundo rustica'' Linnaeus, 1758 |journal=Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden |volume=340 |pages=201–203 |issn=0024-1652 |url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/46729 |accessdate=2007-11-17}}</ref> It breeds in the Middle East from southern [[Turkey]] to [[Israel]] and is partially resident, though some birds winter in East Africa. It has orange red underparts and a broken breast band.<ref name=Turner/> |
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[[Image:BarnSwallowJapan.jpg|thumb|left|''H. r. gutturalis'' in Japan]] |
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*''H. r. savignii'', the resident [[Egypt]]ian subspecies, was described by [[James Francis Stephens|James Stephens]] in 1817 and named for [[France|French]] [[zoology|zoologist]] [[Marie Jules César Savigny]].<Ref name= Decker>{{cite journal |last=Dekker |first=René |month= |year=2003 |title=Type specimens of birds. Part 2. |journal=NNM Technical Bulletin |volume=6 |issue= |pages=20 |url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/43413 |accessdate=2001-11-24}}</ref> It resembles ''transitiva'', which also has orange-red underparts, but ''savignii'' has a complete broad breast band and deeper red hue to the underparts.<ref name = Mullarney/> |
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*''H. r. gutturalis'', described by [[Giovanni Antonio Scopoli]] in 1786,<Ref name= ssp/> has whitish underparts and a broken breast band. It breeds from the eastern [[Himalayas]] to [[Japan]] and [[Korea]]. It winters across tropical Asia from India and [[Sri Lanka]] east to [[Indonesia]] and [[New Guinea]]. Increasing numbers are wintering in Australia. It hybridises with ''H. r. tytleri'' in the [[Amur]] area. It is thought that the two eastern Asia forms were once geographically separate, but the nest sites provided by expanding human habitation allowed the ranges to overlap.<ref name=Turner/> ''H. r. gutturalis'' is a vagrant to [[Alaska]] and [[Washington]],<ref name=Sibley>{{cite book |last = Sibley |first = David |title = The North American Bird Guide |year = 2000 |publisher = Pica Press |isbn= 1-873403-98-4}}</ref> but is easily distinguished from the North American breeding subspecies, ''H. r. erythrogaster'', by the latter's reddish underparts.<ref name=Turner/> |
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*''H. r. tytleri'', first described by [[Thomas C. Jerdon|Thomas Jerdon]] in 1864, and named for British soldier, naturalist and photographer [[Robert Christopher Tytler]],<Ref name=ssp/> has deep orange-red underparts and an incomplete breast band. It breeds in central [[Siberia]] south to northern [[Mongolia]] and winters from eastern [[Bengal]] east to [[Thailand]] and [[Malaysia]].<ref name=Turner/> |
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[[Image:Hirundo-rustica-001.jpg|thumb|''H. r. erythrogaster'' in Canada]] |
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*The [[North America]]n subspecies ''H. r. erythrogaster'', described by [[Pieter Boddaert]] in 1783,<Ref name= ssp/> differs from the European subspecies in having redder underparts and a narrower, often incomplete, blue breast band. It breeds throughout North America, from [[Alaska]] to southern [[Mexico]], and migrates to the [[Lesser Antilles]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Panama]] and [[South America]] to winter.<ref name=Hilty>{{cite book |last = Hilty |first = Steven L |title = Birds of Venezuela |publisher = Christopher Helm |date = 2003 |location = London |isbn = 0-7136-6418-5 }} p691</ref> A few may winter in the southernmost parts of the breeding range. This subspecies funnels through [[Central America]] on a narrow front and is therefore abundant on passage in the lowlands of both coasts.<ref name=Stiles<ref>{{cite book |last = Stiles |first = Gary |coauthors=Skutch, Alexander |title = A guide to the Birds of Costa Rica |location=Ithaca, New York |publisher = Cornell University Press |date = 2003 |isbn = 0-8014-2287-6}} p343</ref> |
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Unexpectedly, [[DNA]] analyses show that Barn Swallows from North America colonised the [[Lake Baikal|Baikal]] region of Siberia, a dispersal direction opposite to that for most changes in distribution between North America and Eurasia.<ref name = Williams>{{cite journal |last=Williams |first=Nigel |month=April |year=2006 |title=Swallows track human moves |journal=Current Biology |volume=16 |issue=7 |pages=R231 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2006.03.031 }}</ref> |
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==Behaviour== |
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===Habitat and range=== |
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The preferred habitat of the Barn Swallow is open country with low vegetation, such as pasture, meadows and farmland, preferably with nearby water. This swallow avoids heavily wooded or precipitous areas and densely built-up locations. The presence of accessible open structures such as barns, stables, or culverts to provide nesting sites, and exposed locations such as wires, roof ridges or bare branches for perching, are also important in the bird's selection of its breeding range.<ref name=BWP/> [[Image:Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) in Kolkata W IMG 3419.jpg|thumb|left|In Kolkata]] |
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It breeds in the Northern Hemisphere from sea level to typically 2,700 metres (8,900 ft),<ref name=BirdLife2>{{cite web |title = BirdLife International Species factsheet: ''Hirundo rustica'' |author= |publisher =BirdLife International |accessdate = 2007-12-06 |url =http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=7116&m=1}}</ref> but to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in the [[Caucasus]]<ref name=BWP/> and North America,<ref name= umich/> and it is absent only from deserts and the cold northernmost parts of the continents. Over much of its range, it avoids towns, and in Europe is replaced in urban areas by the [[House Martin]]. However, in [[Honshū]], the Barn Swallow is a more urban bird, with the [[Red-rumped Swallow]] (''Cecropis daurica'') replacing it as the rural species.<ref name= Turner/> |
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In winter, the Barn Swallow is cosmopolitan in its choice of habitat, avoiding only dense forests and deserts.<ref name=SASOL>{{cite book |title=SASOL Birds of Southern Africa |last= Sinclair |first=Ian |coauthors= Hockey, Phil; Tarboton, Warwick |location=Cape Town |publisher=Struik |year=2002 |isbn= 1-86872-721-1 }} p294</ref> It is most common in open, low vegetation habitats, such as [[savanna]] and ranch land, and in [[Venezuela]], [[South Africa]] and [[Trinidad and Tobago]] it is described as being particularly attracted to burnt or harvested [[sugarcane]] fields and the waste from the cane.<ref name = Hilty/><ref name = mercy/><ref name = ffrench>{{cite book |last = ffrench<!--this name should not be capitalized--> |first = Richard |title = A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago |edition = 2nd edition |year = 1991 |location=Ithaca, New York |publisher = Comstock Publishing |isbn = 0-8014-9792-2 }} p315–6</ref> Individual birds tend to return to the same wintering locality each year<ref name= burton/> and congregate from a large area to [[communal roosting|roost]] in reed beds.<ref name=mercy/> The Barn Swallow has been recorded as breeding in the more temperate parts of its winter range, such as the mountains of [[Thailand]] and in central Argentina.<ref name= Lekagul>{{cite book |last = Lekagul |first = Boonsong |coauthors= Round, Philip |title = A Guide to the Birds of Thailand |year = 1991 |location=Bangkok |publisher = Saha Karn Baet |isbn = 974-85673-6-2}} p234</ref><ref name= Turner/> |
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As would be expected for a long-distance migrant, this bird has occurred as a vagrant to such distant areas as [[Hawaii]], [[Bermuda]], [[Greenland]], [[Tristan da Cunha]] and the [[Falkland Islands]].<ref name= Turner/> |
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===Feeding=== |
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[[Image:800px-hirundorusticaflightcropped.jpg|thumb|In flight]] |
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The Barn Swallow is similar in its habits to other aerial [[insectivore]]s, including other swallow species and the unrelated [[swift]]s. It is not a particularly fast flier, with a speed estimated at about 11 [[metre per second|m/s]] (36 ft/s) and a wing beat rate of approximately 7–9 times each second,<ref name= Park>{{cite journal |last=Park |first=Kirsty |coauthors=Rosén, Mikael; Hedenström, Anders |month=August |year=2001 |title=Kinematics of the barn swallow (''Hirundo rustica'') over a wide range of speeds in a wind tunnel |journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=204 |issue=15 |pages=2741–2750 |url=http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/204/15/2741 |accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> but it has the manoeuvrability necessary to feed on flying [[insect]]s while airborne. It is often seen flying relatively low in open or semi-open areas. |
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It typically feeds 7–8 metres (23–26 ft) above shallow water or the ground, often following animals, humans or farm machinery to catch disturbed insects, but it will occasionally pick prey items from the water surface, walls and plants. In the breeding areas, large [[fly|flies]] make up around 70% of the diet, with [[aphid]]s also a significant component. However, in Europe, the Barn Swallow takes fewer aphids than the [[House Martin|House]] or [[Sand Martin]]s.<ref name=BWP/> On the wintering grounds, [[Hymenoptera]], especially flying [[ant]]s, are important food items. When egg-laying, Barn Swallows hunt in pairs, but will form often large flocks otherwise.<ref name=Turner/> The Barn Swallow drinks by skimming low over lakes or rivers and scooping up water with its open mouth.<ref name = umich/> This bird bathes in a similar fashion, dipping into the water for an instant while in flight.<ref name= burton>{{cite book |last = Burton |first = Robert |coauthors = |title = Bird behaviour| year = 1985 |location=London |publisher = Granada |isbn = 0-24-612440-7}}</ref> |
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Swallows gather in communal roosts after breeding, sometimes thousands strong. Reed beds are regularly favoured, with the birds swirling ''en masse'' before swooping low over the reeds.<ref name= Mullarney >{{cite book |last = Mullarney |first = Killian |coauthors = Svensson, Lars; Zetterstrom, Dan; Grant, Peter |title = Collins Bird Guide |year = 1999 |location=London |publisher = HarperCollins |isbn = 0-00-219728-6}} p242</ref> Reed beds are an important source of food prior to and whilst on migration; although the Barn Swallow is a diurnal migrant which can feed on the wing whilst it travels low over ground or water, the reed beds enable fat deposits to be established or replenished.<ref name = Euring>{{cite web |last=Pilastro |first=Andrea |title=The EURING Swallow Project in Italy |url=http://www.euring.org/about_euring/newsletter2/euring_swallows_italy.htm |date=December 1998 |work=Euring Newsletter, Volume 2 |accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> |
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===Breeding=== |
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The male Barn Swallow returns to the breeding grounds before the females and selects a nest site, which is then advertised to females with a circling flight and song. The breeding success of the male is related to the length of the tail streamers, with longer streamers being more attractive to the female.<ref name=BWP/><ref name = Saino>{{cite journal |last=Saino |first=Nicola|coauthors=Romano, Maria; Sacchi; Roberto; Ninni, Paola; Galeotti, Paolo; Møller, Anders Pape |month=September |year=2003 |title=Do male barn swallows (''Hirundo rustica'') experience a trade-off between the expression of multiple sexual signals? |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |volume=54 |issue=5 |pages=465–471 |doi=10.1007/s00265-003-0642-z}}</ref> Males with longer tail feathers are generally longer-lived and more disease resistant, females thus gaining an indirect fitness benefit from this form of selection, since longer tail feathers indicate a genetically stronger individual which will produce offspring with enhanced vitality.<ref name= Moller/> [[Image:Nest41.JPG|thumb|left|Chicks and eggs in a nest with horse hair lining]] |
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Males with long streamers also have larger white tail spots, and since feather-eating [[chewing louse|bird lice]] prefer white feathers, large white tail spots without [[parasite]] damage again demonstrate breeding quality; there is a positive association between spot size and the number of offspring produced each season.<ref name= Kose>{{cite journal |last=Kose |first=Mati |coauthors=Mänd, Raivo: Møller, Anders Pape |month=December |year=1999 |title=Sexual selection for white tail spots in the barn swallow in relation to habitat choice by feather lice |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=58 |issue=6 |pages=1201–1205 |doi=10.1006/anbe.1999.1249}}</ref> |
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Both sexes defend the nest, but the male is particularly aggressive and territorial.<ref name=Turner/> Once established, pairs stay together to breed for life, but extra-pair [[copulation]] is common, making this species [[gene]]tically polygamous, despite being socially monogamous.<ref> |
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{{cite journal |last=Møller |first=Anders Pape |coauthors=Tegelstrom, Håkan |month=November |year=1997 |title=Extra-pair paternity and tail ornamentation in the barn swallow |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |volume=41 |issue=5 |pages=353–360 |doi=10.1007/s002650050395}}</ref> Males guard females actively to avoid being cuckolded.<ref> |
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{{cite journal |last=Møller |first=Anders Pape |month=October |year=1985 |title=Mixed reproductive strategy and mate guarding in a semi-colonial passerine, the swallow ''Hirundo rustica'' |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=401–408 |doi=10.1007/BF00293220}}</ref> Males may use deceptive alarm calls to disrupt extrapair copulation attempts toward their mates.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Møller |first=Anders Pape |month= |year=1990 |title=Deceptive use of alarm calls by male swallows, Hirundo rustica: a new paternity guard |journal=Behavioral Ecology |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–6}}</ref> |
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As its name implies, the Barn Swallow typically nests inside accessible buildings such as barns and stables, or under bridges and wharves. The neat cup-shaped nest is placed on a beam or against a suitable vertical projection. It is constructed by both sexes, although more often by the female, with mud pellets collected in their beaks and lined with grasses, feathers or other soft materials.<ref name=Turner/> Barn Swallows may nest colonially where sufficient high-quality nest sites are available, and within a colony, each pair defends a territory around the nest which, for the European subspecies, is four to eight square metres (45 to 90 square feet) in size. Colonies tend to be larger in North America.<ref name= umich/> [[Image:Hirundo rustica 14105.JPG|Older chicks in nest|right|thumb]] |
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In North America at least, Barn Swallows frequently engage in a [[mutualism|mutualist]] relationship with [[Osprey]]s. Barn Swallows will build their nest below an Osprey nest, receiving protection from other birds of prey which are repelled by the exclusively fish-eating Ospreys. The Ospreys are alerted to the presence of these predators by the alarm calls of the swallows.<ref name= umich/> |
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Before man-made sites became common, the Barn Swallow nested on cliff faces or in caves, but this is now rare. The female lays two to seven, but typically four or five, reddish-spotted white eggs. The eggs are 20 x 14 millimetres (0.06 x 0.08 in) in size, and weigh 1.9 grammes (0.07 oz), of which 5 percent is shell. In Europe, the female does almost all the [[avian incubation|incubation]], but in North America the male may incubate up to 25% of the time. The incubation period is normally 14–19 days, with another 18–23 days before the [[altricial]] chicks fledge. The fledged young stay with, and are fed by, the parents for about a week after leaving the nest. Occasionally, first-year birds from the first brood will assist in feeding the second brood.<ref name=Turner/> |
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[[Image:Chicks swallow.jpg|Fledged young waiting to be fed|thumb|left]] |
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The Barn Swallow will [[mobbing behavior|mob]] intruders such as [[cat]]s or [[accipiter]]s that venture too close to their nest, often flying very close to the threat.<ref name = Moller> |
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{{cite book |last=Møller |first=Anders Pape |year=1994 |title=Sexual Selection and the Barn Swallow |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-854028-0| pages=p. 245}}</ref> Adult Barn Swallows have few predators, but some are taken by accipiters, [[falcon]]s, and [[owl]]s. [[Brood parasite|Brood parasitism]] by [[cowbird]]s in North America or [[cuckoo]]s in Eurasia is rare.<ref name= umich/><ref name=BWP/> |
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There are normally two broods, with the original nest being reused for the second brood and being repaired and reused in subsequent years. Hatching success is 90% and the fledging survival rate is 70–90%. Average mortality is 70–80% in the first year and 40–70% for the adult. Although the record age is more than 11 years, most survive less than four years.<ref name=Turner/> |
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The Barn Swallow has been recorded as [[hybrid (biology)|hybridising]] with the [[Cliff Swallow]] (''Petrochelidon pyrrhonota'') and the [[Cave Swallow]] (''P. fulva'') in North America, and the House Martin (''Delichon urbicum'') in Eurasia, the cross with the latter being one of the most common passerine hybrids.<ref name = Moller/> |
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==Status== |
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The Barn Swallow has an enormous range, with an estimated global extent of 10 million square kilometres (4 million square miles) and a population of 190 million individuals. Although global population trends have not been quantified, the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the [[IUCN Red List]] (that is, declining more than 30 percent in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as "least concern" on the 2007 IUCN Red List,<ref name=BirdLife/> and has no special status under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ([[CITES]]), which regulates international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants.<ref name= umich>{{cite web |last=Dewey |first=Tanya |coauthors=Roth, Chava |title=''Hirundo rustica'' |url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hirundo_rustica.html |year=2002 |work=Animal Diversity Web |publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology |accessdate=2007-11-19}}</ref> |
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This is a species which has greatly benefited historically from forest clearance, which has created the open habitats it prefers, and from human habitation, which have given it an abundance of safe man-made nest sites. There have been local declines due to the use of [[DDT]] in [[Israel]] in the 1950s, competition for nest sites with [[House Sparrow]]s in the US in the 19th century, and an ongoing gradual decline in numbers in parts of Europe and Asia due to agricultural intensification, reducing the availability of insect food. However, there has been an increase in the population in North America during the 20th century with the greater availability of nesting sites and subsequent range expansion, including the colonisation of northern [[Alberta]].<ref name=Turner/> |
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A specific threat to wintering birds from the European populations is the transformation by the South African government of a light aircraft runway near [[Durban]] into [[King Shaka International Airport|an international airport]] for the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]]. The roughly 250 metres (275 yards) square Mount Moreland reed bed is a night roost for more than three million Barn Swallows, which represent one percent of the global population and eight percent of the European breeding population. The reed bed lies on the flight path of aircraft using the proposed La Mercy airport, and there were fears that it would be cleared because the birds could threaten aircraft safety.<ref name= Guardian>{{cite news |title=World Cup airport 'threatens swallow population' |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2006/nov/16/travelnews.conservationandendangeredspecies.environment |date=16 November 2006 |work=The Guardian |accessdate=2007-11-27}}</ref><ref name = BirdLife2>{{cite press release |
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| title = 'World Cup 2010' development threatens millions of roosting Barn Swallows. |
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| publisher = BirdLife International |
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| date = November 16, 2006 |
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| format = HTML |
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| url = http://www.birdlife.org/news/pr/2006/11/La_Mercy_BarnSwallows.html |
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| accessdate = 2007-11-27 |
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}}</ref> However, following detailed evaluation, advanced radar technology will be installed to enable planes using the airport to be warned of bird movements and, if necessary, take appropriate measures to avoid the flocks.<ref name=mercy>{{cite news |last=Froneman |first=Albert |coauthors=Bortle, Jon; Merritt, Ron |title=Draft swallow monitoring and bird aircraft interaction |url=http://eia.dubetradeport.co.za/Documents/Documents/2007Apr23/Draft%20Swallow%20Monitoring%20&%20Bird%20Aircraft%20Interaction%20Apr%202007.pdf |format=PDF |date= April 2007 |work=Environmental Impact Assessment Report |publisher=Dube TradePort Environmental Impact Assessment Information Center |accessdate=2007-11-29}}</ref> |
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==Relationship with humans== |
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[[Image:Hirundo rustica young male spring NRM.jpg|thumb|right|A male]] |
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The Barn Swallow is an attractive bird which feeds on flying insects and has therefore been tolerated by humans when it shares their buildings for nesting. As one of the earlier migrants, this conspicuous species is also seen as an early sign of summer's approach.<ref name=Welldon/> |
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In the [[Old World]], the Barn Swallow appears to have used man-made structures and bridges since time immemorial.<ref name=Turner2>{{cite book |title= The Barn Swallow |last= Turner |first=Angela K |location=London |publisher= T. & A. D. Poyser |year=2006 |isbn= 0-7136-6558-0}}</ref> An early reference is in [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Georgics]]'' (29 BC) ''...garrula quam tignis nidum suspendat hirundo'' (...the twittering swallow hangs its nest from the rafters).<ref name=Virgil>{{la icon}} Virgil, ''The Georgics'' [http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/virgil/geo/geol04.htm Text Book IV line 307]. Retrieved 28 November 2007</ref> |
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It is believed that the Barn Swallow began attaching its nest to [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] habitations in the early 1800s, and the subsequent spread of settlement across North America is thought to have resulted in a dramatic population expansion of the species across that continent.<ref name = Williams/> |
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===In literature=== |
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Many literary references are based on the Barn Swallow's northward migration as a symbol of spring or summer. The [[proverb]] about the necessity for more than one piece of evidence goes back at least to [[Aristotle]]'s ''[[Nicomachean Ethics]]'': "For as one swallow or one day does not make a spring, so one day or a short time does not make a fortunate or happy man."<ref name=Welldon>{{cite book |last=Welldon |first=James Edward Cowell (translator) |year=1987 |origyear=1897 |title=The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle |chapter=Book 1, chapter 6 |publisher=Prometheus |location=Buffalo |isbn=0-87975-378-1}}</ref> |
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The Barn Swallow symbolizes the coming of spring and thus love in the ''[[Pervigilium Veneris]]'', a late [[Latin]] poem. In "[[The Waste Land]]," [[T. S. Eliot]] quoted the line ''"Quando fiam uti chelidon [ut tacere desinam]?"'' ("When will I be like the swallow, so that I can stop being silent?") This refers to a version of the myth of [[Philomela (princess of Athens)|Philomela]] in which she turns into a swallow and her sister Procne into a [[Nightingale]]; in more familiar versions, the two species are reversed.<ref>{{cite book |last = Nims |first = John Frederick |authorlink = John Frederick Nims |year = 1981 |title = The Harper Anthology of Poetry |publisher = Harper and Row |location=New York |isbn = 0-06-044846-6}}</ref> On the other hand, an image of the assembly of Swallows for their southward migration concludes [[John Keats]]'s ode "[[To Autumn]]." |
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There are mentions of the Barn Swallow in the [[Bible]], although it seems likely that it is confused with the [[swift]]s in many translations,<ref name = bible>{{cite news |title=Swallow |url=http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/S/SWALLOW/ |work=International Standard Bible Encyclopedia |publisher=Bible History Online |accessdate=2007-11-18}}</ref> or possibly other [[swallow|hirundine species]] which breed in [[Israel]].<ref name= Mullarney/> However, "Yea, the sparrow hath found her a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young" from {{bibleverse||Psalms|84:3|!}} likely applies to the Barn Swallow.<ref name = bible/> |
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The swallow is also notably cited in several of [[William Shakespeare]]'s plays for the swiftness of its flight; for example: "True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings..." from Act 5 of ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', and "I have horse will follow where the game Makes way, and run like swallows o'er the plain." from the second act of ''[[Titus Andronicus]]''. Shakespeare also references the annual migration of the species poetically in ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'', Act 4: "Daffodils, That come before the swallow dares, and take The winds of March with beauty; violets dim,...". |
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===In culture=== |
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[[Gilbert White]] studied the Barn Swallow in detail in his pioneering work ''[[The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne|The Natural History of Selborne]]'', but even this careful observer was uncertain whether it migrated or hibernated in winter.<ref name= white>{{cite book |last=White |first=Gilbert |title=The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne |year=1887 |origyear=1789 |location=London |publisher=Cassell & Company |oclc=3423785 |page=pp. 38–39 |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20933/20933-h/20933-h.htm}}</ref> Elsewhere, its long journeys have been well-observed, and a [[swallow tattoo]] is popular amongst nautical men as a symbol of a safe return; the tradition was that a mariner had a tattoo of this fellow wanderer after sailing 5,000 [[nautical mile]]s (9,260 km, 5,755 statute [[mile]]s). A second swallow would be added after 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km, 11,510 statute miles) at sea.<ref name =mmbc>{{cite web |title=Hardtack and marlinspikes – life and work aboard ship |work= Sailors' tattoos post-visit activity, teachers' handout |url=http://mmbc.bc.ca/downloads/educational_materials/Tatoos/tattoo%20activity%20text.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Maritime Museum of British Columbia |accessdate=2007-12-01}}</ref> |
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In the past, the tolerance for this beneficial [[insectivore]] was reinforced by superstitions regarding damage to the Barn Swallow's nest. Such an act might lead to cows giving bloody milk, or no milk at all, or to hens ceasing to lay.<ref name= Cocker >{{cite book |last=Cocker |first=Mark |coauthors=Mabey, Richard |title=Birds Britannica |year=2005 |location=London |publisher=Chatto & Windus |isbn=0-7011-6907-9}}</ref> This may be a factor in the longevity of swallows' nests. Survival, with suitable annual refurbishment, for 10–15 years is regular, and one nest was reported to have been occupied for 48 years.<ref name= Cocker/> |
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It is depicted as the ''Martlet'', ''Merlette'' or ''Merlot'' in [[heraldry]], where it represents younger sons who have no lands. It is also represented as lacking feet as this was a common belief at the time.<ref name = "Cooper92">{{cite book |last=Cooper |first=JC |title=Symbolic and Mythological Animals |pages=218-19 |year=1992 |publisher=Aquarian Press |location=London |isbn=1-85538-118-4}}</ref> As a result of a campaign by [[ornithology|ornithologists]], the Barn Swallow has been the national bird of [[Estonia]] since [[23 June]] [[1960]].<ref name = Estonia>{{cite web |title=The State - Structure and Symbols |work=Estonia |url=http://www.estonia.gov.uk/estonia/state |publisher=Estonian Embassy in London |accessdate=2007-11-27}}</ref><ref name = Estonia2>{{cite web |title=National symbols of Estonia |url=http://www.einst.ee/publications/symbols/ |date= |publisher=The Estonia Institute |accessdate=2007-11-27}}</ref> |
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==References==<!-- Condor58:107. WilsonBull18:47 (compare to current Ohio checklist http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/OBRClist.pdf). --> |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Commons|Hirundo rustica}} |
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*[http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/facts/barn_swallow_712.html Barn Swallow Facts and Photos] - NatureMapping Program |
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*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=5356 Barn Swallow videos] on the Internet Bird Collection. |
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*[http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i6130id.html Species account at USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter]. Includes song clips and [[spectrogram|sonogram]]s. |
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*[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Barn_Swallow.html Species account at Cornell Lab of Ornithology.] Includes range map for the Americas |
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*[http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/barn_swallow_info.htm Species account at South Dakota Birds]. Information and photos. |
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*[http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/BirdsInEuropeII/BiE2004Sp7116.pdf BirdLife species' status map for Europe (pdf)]. |
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*[http://www.nasmus.co.za/ORNITHOL/Swallows/index.html The Bloemfontein swallow project] Data collection on the wintering grounds |
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{{featured article}} |
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[[Category:Hirundinidae]] |
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[[Category:Birds of the United States]] |
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[[Category:Birds of North America]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Puerto Rico]] |
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[[Category:Birds of South Africa]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Europe]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Tunisia]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Western Australia]] |
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[[Category:Birds of Africa]] |
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[[Category:National symbols of Estonia]] |
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[[af:Europese swael]] |
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[[ar:خطاف]] |
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[[zh-min-nan:Ìⁿ-á]] |
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[[br:Gwennili]] |
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[[bg:Селска лястовица]] |
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[[ca:Oreneta comuna]] |
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[[cs:Vlaštovka obecná]] |
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[[cy:Gwennol]] |
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[[da:Landsvale]] |
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[[de:Rauchschwalbe]] |
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[[et:Suitsupääsuke]] |
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[[es:Hirundo rustica]] |
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[[eo:Domhirundo]] |
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[[eu:Enara]] |
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[[fr:Hirondelle rustique]] |
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[[fy:Boereswel]] |
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[[gl:Andoriña]] |
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[[ko:제비]] |
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[[id:Layang-layang Asia]] |
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[[it:Hirundo rustica]] |
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[[lt:Šelmeninė kregždė]] |
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[[hu:Füsti fecske]] |
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[[ms:Burung Layang-layang Hijrah]] |
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[[nl:Boerenzwaluw]] |
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[[ja:ツバメ]] |
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[[oc:Ironda]] |
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[[pl:Jaskółka dymówka]] |
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[[pt:Andorinha-das-chaminés]] |
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[[ru:Деревенская ласточка]] |
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[[se:Suorrespálfu]] |
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[[sk:Lastovička obyčajná]] |
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[[fi:Haarapääsky]] |
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[[sv:Ladusvala]] |
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[[tr:Kır kırlangıcı]] |
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[[bat-smg:Blezdinga]] |
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[[zh:家燕]] |
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Revision as of 11:20, 14 February 2008
{{Taxobox
| color = pink
| name = Barn Swallow
| status = LC
| status_ref = [1]
| image = Landsvale.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = European subspecies,
H. r. rustica in Denmark
| regnum = Animalia
| phylum = Chordata
| classis = Aves
| ordo = Passeriformes
| familia =ki
- ^ "BirdLife International Species factsheet: Hirundo rustica". BirdLife International. Retrieved 2007-11-15.