Swallow Bird
The swallow is a bird species found on five continents worldwide, including Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This is because they migrate with the changing seasons, moving to areas with more favorable climates. It was first recorded among bird families in 1758, is also known as the Andean swallow (Hirundo rustica), and its scientific name is *Hirundo rustica*. To learn more about their migratory behavior, you can visit this link about why swallows migrate.
These species develop above the Equatorial line that separates both poles of the planet and the vast majority leave their breeding nests to travel south and settle in other countries and wild areas. An important fact is that thanks to its wide distribution throughout the world, this species is not in danger of extinction.
Something curious about this bird is that since the origin of its existence they have become accustomed to living with man and not only in the breeding stage, since when they move to a wild habitat that they consider suitable for them, they are able to acclimatize quietly despite the existence of humans in these spaces, they even use man-made buildings to make their homes.
Characteristics of the Swallow
They are part of the group of migratory animals , usually small birds. When they reach adulthood, the largest male can reach 20 centimeters in length, and the smallest 15 centimeters. With their wingspan extended, they can reach 35 centimeters. Their weight ranges from 15 to 24 grams, which is perfectly in line with their physical structure.
The common swallow in its adult stage has a yellowish-white front part of its torso, a red patch on its neck, a gray tail, and a strong blue back and top of its head, which together with its soft and shiny plumage gives a beautiful appearance, although we must point out that this can vary slightly in all species, but this appearance is mostly in the common ones.
On the other hand, the younger species do not have a long tail that is more noticeable thanks to the feathers, which develop as they grow, mainly after a period in which they leave much of their feathers and wait for them to die. new ones grow.
However, this is not the only time they do a plumage change, it also happens after they bond and when they breed, but it always happens when the weather is cold.
Producing different sounds depending on what they want to communicate, they have an unusual croon that begins with a jovial and happy tone and ends with a long-lasting whistle. They have a warning call when they feel attacked or to ward off predators, in addition to many other calls they use to interact with each other.
Biological Classification
The common swallow has been known for many years, while derived species have been discovered over time. Scientists have found it easy to distinguish which birds belong to this family. Most are native to Africa, although some have settled in America, with few species establishing themselves in these areas.
Several types of birds have been proposed to add to the list of swallow species, however their characteristics are imprecise, which is why there are only 6 subspecies accepted and cataloged by experts throughout the world. We mention them below:
- H.r. rustic: They can originate from Europe, to Asia, the Arctic Circle and North Africa, then they usually migrate to Africa and border points between Europe and Asia. They can be identified among others thanks to the straight line located on the chest, although many of these specimens may have their line of a slightly different color, just as the plumage on the tip of the tail can obtain different pigments, mostly reddish.
- H.r. erythrogaster: Cataloged in the year 1783, they are produced in North America and travel south when winter arrives, although they tend to spend more time in the more central countries of the continent. They can be differentiated thanks to the fact that their lower extremities tend to take on a red hue and the line located on the chest is larger.
- H.r. Tytleri: Classified in 1864 by a British zoologist, they occur in eastern Asia, more specifically in Siberia, following a river from Asian Russia to migrate to the south of the same continent. They usually have longer tail plumage and this, together with their copper-toned limbs, helps experts to differentiate them.
- H.r. gutturalis: Described in 1786, East Asia is its point of origin, they intermingle with the tytleri species since their habitats are conjoined, since it was studied that at some point they had very well defined areas between them, but thanks to the influence of being human these spaces ended up combining, bringing together the birds of both species in the process, although where the offspring develop the most is in the joint spaces between Japan and Korea.
They were once wanted to be grouped with another species of swallow or other type of birds, however, experts have made an effort to make this subspecies a class apart from the others.
- H.r. Savignii: It was cataloged in 1817 and they are permanently established in the region of Egypt, they have a reddish chest line that is accentuated when it reaches the legs.
- H.r. transitive: It was until now the last species of swallow to be classified approximately in the year 1910, they originate in the southwestern region of Asia and usually settle in an area for a slightly longer time than the other species. Physically they are very similar to the savignii, except that in the lower area the color of their plumage is more like orange.
Environment and Location of the Swallow
The swallow lives in meadows and spacious areas with plants close to the ground, also where trees are scarce, with some river or lagoon where it can easily obtain water. It does not like wooded and humid areas, preferring level terrain, which is why it avoids settling in very high mountains, and although it can coexist with humans, it does not settle in areas with many buildings or large houses.
They prefer to live in buildings that are located in rural areas, perhaps spaces that are intended for planting and livestock, in order to have enough space to move and enough food sources.
They avoid the suburbs and highly urbanized spaces, however there are species in many parts of America that settle in areas that are a mix between the city and the countryside, more than anything in border areas where buildings are scarce but the presence of human beings be constant.
The areas of the northern hemisphere are breeding places for these species, the central areas that are located on or near the equator are mating spaces and after this the birds stay close to shed their feathers, then the regions located in the southern hemisphere are migration grounds and remain there during the winter.
Swallow Behavior
Although they are small and very abundant birds, they also have a very short estimated lifespan that ranges between 4 and 7 years of life, and although there are species of swallow that have come to exceed 10 years of life, these very few and are They occur under specific conditions that facilitate migration and stationary nesting for the animal.
They are kept in large groups and move during the day, always taking care of themselves and being attentive to any other carnivorous species that is lurking, on some occasions these birds of up to a thousand specimens are cataloged in groups. They use both their voice and their physical structure to transmit information between them, as well as to protect themselves and warn of possible predators.
In the country of Nigeria, located in West Africa, a study was conducted on the behavior of flocks of swallows when they settle in a place. It was found that they prepare themselves before sunrise, warning each other when the time to leave is approaching, so that all individuals can prepare their bodies and wings to take flight.
The first ones that rose did so a few minutes before sunrise and the other specimens followed them as the minutes went by, this process could last up to 40 minutes in which the youngest birds prepared themselves and the others flew over the resting place, although most were quick to leave the rest, the birds did not leave until all had taken flight.
After this, the groups spread out in the different spaces of the field, they did their activities during the day and minutes before the afternoon fell they all came together again, grouping them again so that when the afternoon fell they quickly went downstairs. to the roost and settle down to rest and repeat the same routine the next day.
Food
Their diet consists mainly of insects, which they hunt in flight. While they aren't the fastest or most agile birds, they are capable of catching their prey while airborne, staying close to the ground to ensure they catch a few insects. They also tend to feed in areas where insectivorous animals are present , near bodies of water.
They are in charge of staying close to any human or industrial movement where they know that mosquitoes and bugs are easily chased away, they also have the habit of catching smaller insects when they are on the water, where many mosquitoes are in charge of looking for the water they need and it is at which point they are interrupted by the swallow.
Their diet is highly adaptable, consuming almost any insect they can find in rural areas and fields, from flies and crickets to dragonflies and moths. Their hunting habits adapt depending on the stage of their life cycle; for example, during mating and breeding season , they stay in pairs, ensuring their partner also feeds, while at other times they hunt in large groups.
They spend a large part of the day in the air, so they adapt to carry out all the necessary activities while in flight, they approach the water to drink water but do not stay on it for long, since when they quench their thirst they scatter quickly, on the other hand they give small splashes to take a bath and then they took flight taking care of clearing the humidity of the feathers, mainly in the wings.
Although it seems incredible, these birds can also feed their young when they are in flight. Studies show that the swallow does not stray far from its shelters when it goes to look for food, although this also depends on the area in which it settles, for this reason it is responsible for locating itself in spaces near the water so as not to have to disperse for a long time. , not very far.
Reproduction
The fertilization period depends mainly on the location where the swallow flock is located and the climatic conditions of the specific region also influence, but it is usually between the months of May and August.
During this period they are in charge of being very aware of any predator that tries to get hold of the eggs to feed themselves, they emit alarming sounds and approach the predator in a threatening way with the intention of scaring them away.
Many birds belonging to this species also use the laying parasitism method, which is based on laying their eggs in the nest of another species so that it is responsible for incubating its eggs, on some occasions the laying bird realizes the intrusion and eliminates the foreign young, but in other cases the parasitism is successful and the young manage to develop and leave the nest before the other species realizes it.
In the courtship stage, the male is the one who approaches the female and attracts them by showing his tail and wings, since these are his most attractive physical characteristics and what defines whether a bird will be less or more attractive depends on the genetics of the bird and other external factors, such as the environment, food, among others. The physical appearance of the bird is very important, not only in the reproductive area, but this also influences the quality of life they will have.
The male is also the one who has the power to choose the place where they will have the young, they communicate it to their partner through a dance and song that they easily recognize. After the bond between both birds is formed, they will become more careful with their eggs and partner, with whom they can remain for a long period of time, but it is also normal for the male to mate with another female, always protecting his couple do not do the same.
To build their nests they use any wet or sticky material that they can find nearby to form a sustainable structure, it is normal for them to build them in a corner or high point of urban or rural buildings, so that the construction can serve as a good support for the shelter. The different couples can be located very close to each other, but the limits are always very marked and they do not disturb each other.
When the eggs hatch, the female is the one who incubates them, although the activity can be shared depending on the subspecies. They can lay from 2 to 6 eggs and this period lasts at least 20 days. Then the chicks must learn to fly and disperse, but they tend to return from time to time to receive care from their parents until they reach adulthood and the reproduction process begins again.
Dangerous Organisms
The swallow, like other species of birds, can be harmed by the invasion of some parasitic organism under the wings and neck, such as avian lice that not only affect this species of birds, but also hundreds of specimens throughout the world.
When flocks are large and numerous, it's common for them to attract the attention of many predators, such as rodents, felines, diurnal birds of prey , and even humans, who are included in the long list of invaders among the common swallow. Depending on the type of predator, they may attack adults or chicks and eggs, although it is mostly the latter.
One aspect that puts these birds at a disadvantage is the fact that their routine is very predictable and both animals and humans can figure out the right times to attack.
