Garden birds of Alberton: The barn swallow

They are predominantly blue on their upper body and wings. The underside is white.

ROOSTING: Barn swallows perched on an antenna. Photo: Mariska Cilliers.

The barn swallow is a visitor that can be seen in Alberton during the summer months.

Barn swallows are small birds. They are predominantly blue on their upper body and wings. The underside is white. It is distinguished from other swallows in the region by its dark throat and chin. Barn swallows have red areas on their face but this is occasionally not visible during their summer moult.

Barn swallows are extremely adept fliers. They use their speed and manoeuvrability to catch their favoured prey on the wing. Barn swallows hawk for flying insects close to ground level. Insects taken include ants, flies and beetles.

Barn swallows are highly migratory. The swallows seen in South Africa nest in Europe. Following the breeding season with the onset of cooler weather, they migrate south. Birds tend to return to the same spot year after year. During their time spent in South Africa, they moult their feathers and rebuild their stamina for the return of their breeding season.

Barn swallows aggregate in large numbers. When rousting together in reeds they number in thousands. Reports of these swallows gathering in groups numbering in the millions are not unheard of.

Sources:

https://www.sanbi.org/news/barn-swallow-migration-patterns-move

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Swallow/id

https://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/hirundinidae/hirundo_rustica.htm

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