Barn Swallow

A classic summer visitor to Europe that arrives from Africa in April. It is a slender bird with glossy steel-blue upperparts and a red throat. It has long, deeply forked tail feathers called streamers. It nests in farm buildings, stables, and under bridges. It is a celebrated harbinger of spring across the continent.

Swallows are aerial masters. They catch insects on the wing with incredible agility. They often skim just inches above water or grass. Their flight is faster than that of martins. They are social birds and gather in huge numbers on wires before autumn migration. Their song is a cheerful, liquid warble.