The Barn Swallow toy bird with sound shown below at right is made by Wild Republic and is part of their Audubon Birds collection. These birds are unique in that when squeezed they will utter their own particular call. We also have some useful Barn Swallow facts and information below.

The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a 5-3/4 to 7-3/4 inch swallow found throughout the United States and in the southern tier of Canada, and is the most widely distributed swallow in the world, also found in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. It is steely iridescent blue above with chestnut forehead and throat and buff undersides. Sports a wide blue breastband. The tail is deeply forked and the wings are long and pointed. The juvenile is similar to adults but is paler underneath and has a shorter tail

This bird is tireless in its endless circular glides in its pursuit of insects. It eats flying insects including bees, flies, ants and beetles.

As the Barn Swallow flies, it constantly calls with a series of twittering notes.

You'll find the Barn Swallow in agricultural areas, suburbs, and along highways. It seeks open areas where nesting structures are available, especially if water is close by. The nest is made of a mud and reinforced with plant material and lined with feathers. The nests can be found in barns, tree hollows, under bridges, under eaves of buildings and along cliffs. There are usually from 4 to 5 white eggs spotted with brown. The incubation period is from 13 to 17 days. The young fledge in 18 to 23 days. There can be two broods per year.

Barn Swallows are long-distance migrants, spending their winters in Central and South America.

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Order: Passeriformes | Family: Hirundinidae | Genus: Hirundo

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Photo of Barn Swallow courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service