#Birds

Information from "All About Birds"
allaboutbirds.org
Barn Swallow / Hirundo rustica
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Hirundinidae
OTHER NAMES
Golondrina Común (Spanish)
Hirondelle rustique (French)
BASIC DESCRIPTION
Glistening cobalt blue above and tawny below, Barn Swallows dart gracefully over fields, barnyards, and open water in search of flying insect prey. Look for the long, deeply forked tail that streams out behind this agile flyer and sets it apart from all other North American swallows. Barn Swallows often cruise low, flying just a few inches above the ground or water. True to their name, they build their cup-shaped mud nests almost exclusively on human-made structures.
Look for Barn Swallows feeding above meadows, fields, and farmyards and over water, or perched on wires near feeding areas and nesting sites. During the breeding season keep an eye on mud puddles, as Barn Swallows come to the ground to pick up mud and grass for nesting materials. Their mud nests are often tucked under the eaves of barns and stables, on structures near playing fields, or under bridges. You can find Barn Swallows across most of North America.
An unmated male Barn Swallow may kill the nestlings of a nesting pair. His actions often succeed in breaking up the pair and afford him the opportunity to mate with the female.
The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely distributed swallow species in the world. It breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere and winters in much of the Southern Hemisphere.
Barn Swallows once nested in caves throughout North America, but now build their nests almost exclusively on human-made structures. Today the only North American Barn Swallow population that still regularly uses caves as nest sites occurs in the Channel Islands off the California coast.
Barn Swallow parents sometimes get help from other birds to feed their young. These “helpers at the nest” are usually older siblings from previous clutches, but unrelated juveniles may help as well.
Although the killing of egrets is often cited for inspiring the U.S. conservation movement, it was the millinery (hat-making) trade’s impact on Barn Swallows that prompted naturalist George Bird Grinnell’s 1886 Forest & Stream editorial decrying the waste of birdlife. His essay led to the founding of the first Audubon Society.
According to legend, the Barn Swallow got its forked tail because it stole fire from the gods to bring to people. An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.
The oldest known Barn Swallow in North America was at least 10 years old when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in Maryland.

[@justbeachy2031]

I loved seeing the "gentle" man's hand putting baby back.

[@nahidsyyed906]

Hats off to you! 😊

[@MorgueMaid]

I loved this video, although the end had its sad moment.

[@TheAmerica4evr]

Thank you saving the baby, I love you :) I was so sad thinking the baby was going to fall but my heart was at peace when I saw you helping the little. :)

[@trianglebook3616]

This is soooooo fantastic!!! They built one on one of my lamps at the terrace I never light it anymore thanks for showing me what's going on up there in their nest Cheers from Guanajuato México

[@brushhog2220]

Sad and shocked that one didn't make it. It looked fine just tryin to fly a lil bit like the others.. RIP feller. Yall did amazing saving that family and keeping em together like that..There's a nest on my front porch and they come back every year. 4 to 5 babies about 3 times every spring thru the summer months.They live around 18 years, pretty long time for them. Sparrows live about 6ish years I think. Big difference. Great video

[@Constantinefan]

Underrated

[@TheRoguelement]

It was the very thing that turned me into a bird watching person I noticed mud nests in the barn of an old 1860s farm we purchased and year after year the same nesting pair would return to my barn they seemed so happy to be home flying around in tight circles in the barn so for 13 yrs I watched year after year these remarkable ace plyers return from the spring migration they leave in late august early sept they used to fly high up then straight down into the corn field skimming across the tops of the corn at amazing speeds turning o a dime these little acrobats are Gods air superiority flyers ..

[@Windancer11]

So cute ❤

[@erikaerika7788]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ sad for the little but thanks for sharing this

[@shannonspage9360]

A barn swallow used a nest from last year and added a tunnel and enclosed the whole nest. It was cool to see.

[@tofalos]

Thank you for watching my video!

[@akita101]

These birds are so aaaawwwww❤❤❤❤❤

[@shaiy777jjckpw8]

Thanks for Sharing that's We a nest there was 5 eggs just side of our House door entrance ,Past friday eggs crack on Friday For vs Wade , Saturday Sunday 5babies ,On 4th of July 2022 The Parent Removed a dead one, dropped it by the house Porch !?,Now Their little hair started growing up! Super Hot NE Sachse Texas!French love this Bird very protected ,I'm French Creole man USA Citizen now ,it's a blessing to see !!!Nest on our Crown Bouquet ,lost it was for some finches like light blue ,But seemed to me ,it's a young Couple They got distracted and abandoned the Nest!, 4 types of Swallows Birds and they are Angels!.They are very Smart using our ducks feather ,Mud , plenty of flies to eat. God Création !

[@Oriana_leung]

I wonder if the last one's wing got injured during the storm. But didn't know that they would die without food/water within a day 0_0. Thanks for recording and making a house for the swallows. Kikenny Ireland.

[@josephine.laquiambao28]

I am sad because the last one died.

[@shannondaisy71]

I cried! Made me so sad.

[@raquelvelez271]

Too sweet beautiful story, sad the baby didn't make it. I have si many flying around my área but never stops by any feeders or fountains. I do have many orioles, hummingbiirds plus our own in north. Love nature and how it's created, not many can appreciate. Spanish we love them and we have many songs dedicated with their name "Golondrinas" they are travelers.

[@Toureebo]

Nice

[@Constantinefan]

Very nice story

[@tofalos]

Thank you so much 😀

[@Windancer11]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@MrPepper312]

Today July 23rd the last swallow left the nest on my porch. The nest was only about four feet from our door. Now from watching this video I will put a cup of water close to there nest next season. Blue skies little one's.

[@tofalos]

I discovered that they don't want any source of food closer to the nest, but a cup with water is very helpful.

[@gaminggod3441]

Please update and let us know if the baby birds or parent birds came back and nested in the same nest again. Rest In Peace to the little baby bird.

[@tofalos]

Unfortunately I moved to another city. Here I'm hosting House Sparrows and Chickadees!

[@erikaerika7788]

​@Stavros Tofalos omg,,, please don't allow House Sparrows to reproduce,,they are detrimental to our song birds ,, Please pleasec

[@John-qr6bv]

R.I.P the last swallow

[@lotusdoss]

Well, though all happened to survive later from the night storm and things went well as normal. Now while coming to the end it turned to be a pityful situation which ended up with one dead and leaving my thought with emotion.

[@TheAmerica4evr]

Mind too, it hurt my heart.

[@fiberii5696]

Today my adopted swallow died, and I am so heartbroken. I cried for my little swallow.

[@TheAmerica4evr]

What happened?

[@brushhog2220]

Least u tried. Youre a hero for that. Tough job to save a baby bird. They need caring 24/7 it's almost impossible

[@Danny-qq5nr]

We have five chicks and two adults under our porch in Devon U.K. near the Atlantic

[@fightertube4177]

Hi Great film you have made!We really enjoyed it. Thanks Which minicam did you use above the nest?

[@Lordismystrength.222]

Hello!!

[@tofalos]

Hello!

[@dawnbitner1945]

How long from egg to leaving the nest was it

[@suyapacartiga3267]

Beautiful thank you very much great work

[@PichuPeekaboo]

I just learned that mealworms can be used to feed swallows

[@tofalos]

Yes, they love it!

[@alanwann9318]

To add to our wonder,these chicks will fly to South Africa

[@tofalos]

Thank you!

[@TheAmerica4evr]

What food was in the blue container? oatmeal? Thanks for the information

[@tofalos]

Yes it was!

[@bobleclair5665]

Need help in Key West, What swallows are best adapted for Florida Keys . We are swarming in Termites . What. type of bird house do they like ? Thank you

[@tofalos]

Hello! They eat flying bugs and they build their nests with mud. They like warm places like the one in the video

[@akita101]

Was it the one who fell out of the nest who died?😢

[@kayleighharrel6678]

What was in the blue cups?

[@AguaMineral78]

I have 4 Barn Shallow eggs in a nest aboca our front door. I would like to help the parents,with food. What's in the cup please?

[@badeugenecops4741]

Looks like wax worms from a pet store, or mealworms. Mom barely had time to eat it before giving it back to babies!

[@tofalos]

Yes! I put live worms and oatmeal. The Oatmeal is the food for the worms.

[@brooks777]

Depressing

[@xtrextrex]

These bird are annoying!!! 3am is really too early to be tweeting& they’re not even consistent with it!! 😑🙄😡

[@trevormcshane4986]

Even dow no Talk,n,,, Was Very Good,,, Weldone,,,,👍👍👍👍

[@tofalos]

Muchas gracias por ver mi video! Thank you for watching my video!