Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Barn Swallow belongs to the family of swallows and martins (Hirundinidae) as well as more than 80 species. All of them have similar body morphology – long and sharp wings, fork tails and short and very weak legs which do not enable to effectively walk on the ground. Members of this family spend most of their life in the air. They have wide and weak beaks which enable them to capture their main food – flying insects. Species living in the moderate climatic zones are purely migratory, mostly on long distances.



Whereas some of them can built a glued nest on the rock or construction, others can dig the cavity to the substrate and some of them nest in the tree cavities (tree species may even nest in the artificial nest boxes!). Their nesting season is strongly dependent to the density of insects. Despite spanish populations of Barn Swallow nest already in March, same species in Finland does not lie its first eggs before the beginning of June.