Species guide
Barn Swallow: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Ad Konings · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Hirundo rustica
- Family
- Swallows and Martins
- Size
- About 15–19 cm
- Habitat
- Open country, farms and villages near water
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania
The key marks
Glossy blue above with a rusty-red throat and forehead, a pale underside and a long, deeply forked tail.
Voice
A twittering, liquid song and a sharp “vit-vit”.
Good to know
It migrates thousands of kilometres, and European birds spend the winter in Africa.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open country, farms and villages near water. It is especially common in Greece, Japan and Türkiye. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.