Barn Swallow

Steely blue-black upperparts; cinnamon-buff to rufous underparts; deep chestnut-red forehead and throat. Sexes look similar, but males have longer outer tail feathers.

Deeply forked tail with long outer streamers; dark throat patch; iridescent blue back.

Length: 15-19 cm (including tail); Wingspan: 29-32 cm; Weight: 17-20 g.

A cheerful, rapid-fire warble ending in a mechanical-sounding rattle or click.

Strictly insectivorous; feeds on flies, beetles, bees, and wasps caught in mid-air.

Open areas such as meadows, fields, and ponds, often near human settlements with barns or bridges for nesting.

Long-distance migrant; breeds in the Northern Hemisphere and winters in South America, Africa, and Southern Asia.

Builds a cup-shaped nest of mud and straw lined with feathers, usually on a vertical wall or ledge; clutch size 3-7 eggs.

Cliff Swallow (shorter, square tail and pale rump) and Tree Swallow (clean white underparts and greener back).

Acts as a natural pest control by consuming large quantities of flying insects; serves as an indicator species for environmental health.

Least Concern (IUCN), though populations are declining in some regions due to habitat loss.

Look for them perched on wires or fences near open fields and water, or flying low over grass to catch insects.

The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world and is the national bird of Estonia.