Barn Swallow

Steely blue upperparts, rufous/cinnamon throat and forehead, and pale tawny to off-white underparts. Deeply forked tail with white spots.

Deeply forked 'swallow-tail', dark metallic blue back, and orange-brown throat.

Length: 15-19 cm; Wingspan: 29-32 cm; Weight: 17-20 g

A cheerful, twittering song ending in a mechanical dry rattle; calls include a sharp 'witt' or 'phew-witt'.

Insectivorous; primarily feeds on flying insects caught on the wing.

Open country, farmland, agricultural areas, and near water sources.

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

Builds cup-shaped nests from mud pellets and straw lined with feathers, usually attached to vertical surfaces like rafters or ledges.

Cliff Swallows (shorter square tail, pale rump) and Tree Swallows (pure white underparts, no forked tail).

Provides vital insect control by consuming vast quantities of flying insects like flies, beetles, and wasps.

Least Concern (IUCN); however, populations are experiencing long-term declines in some regions due to habitat loss.

Look for them near open fields or water bodies where they forage low to the ground. They are easily spotted near barns or under bridges where they nest.

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