Photo: Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Worldwide.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Africa, Central America & Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 17.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Hirundinidae Swallows, Martins
- Genus Hirundo
- Species rustica
Where it lives
Worldwide Eurasia and North America
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look similar (steel-blue above, rufous forehead/throat, buff-to-cinnamon underparts, deeply forked tail with white spots), but males average glossier blue with a fuller breast band and longer outer tail streamers, while females are duller/less glossy with paler underparts and shorter streamers.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles are duller and browner above with a paler rufous face, paler/whiter underparts, and much shorter tail streamers (long swallow-tail streamers absent or nearly so).
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Barn Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Barn Swallow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a member of the Hirundinidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa, Central America & Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers Worldwide Eurasia and North America.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.6 cm and a tail of around 7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 51.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Barn Swallow?
The Barn Swallow is a small bird that weighs around 17.9 g.
Where does the Barn Swallow live?
The Barn Swallow is found across Africa, Central America & Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering Worldwide Eurasia and North America, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Barn Swallow belong to?
The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Barn Swallow eat?
The Barn Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Barn Swallow migrate?
The Barn Swallow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Barn Swallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Barn Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Barn Swallow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Barn Swallow's range?
The Barn Swallow has a mapped global range of about 51.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Barn Swallow vs Tree Swallow: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Barn Swallow from a Tree Swallow — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.