Barn Swallow

About the Barn Swallow

The Barn Swallow is the most widespread swallow in the world and the only North American swallow with a true "swallow tail" - long, deeply forked outer tail feathers. Adults are steel blue above with a rusty forehead and throat and cinnamon-buff underparts.

Barn Swallows feed entirely on the wing, coursing low over fields, ponds, and pastures for flying insects. They build open cup nests of mud pellets and grass on ledges under bridges, in barns, and on porch fixtures, and pairs often raise two broods a season. Before fall migration, families gather in chattering lines on utility wires.

In Texas they are abundant spring and summer breeders statewide, arriving in March and mostly gone south by late October.