Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Attract barn swallows to your home with artificial nests

Visitor privacy statement and email policy

nestlings in shop nest

nestlings in shop nest

adult pair in shop

nestlings in rear barn

why nests remain clean

fledglings on wire

As their name implies, barn swallows usually nest in barns and other outbuildings, as well as under bridges and in culverts. A common species in much of rural America, the barn swallow thrives on the diversified farm. It is generally held in high esteem by the old fashioned farmer, perhaps because, like the farmer, it works from dusk to dawn, and, unlike other birds, but, like the farmer, it chooses to live in a building, and, like the farm family, the entire extended swallow family seem to work together. And, of course, farmers appreciate any bird that eats insects and doesn't eat grain. Also, many old fashioned farmers are romantics, and, just enjoy watching these beautiful flyers working above them. Swallows will take advantage of any human activity that stirs up insects, whether it is a single person walking through tall grass or a huge noisy machine harvesting wheat. They will flit back and forth following a sickle bar mower cutting hay for hours.

However, the modern farmer is often not the good host that the swallows have come to trust. Old barns with easy access are being replaced with large metal equipment sheds with tight fitting doors and no windows. And, massive spraying of fields can put a damper on hunting for insects. When they have five hungry kids in the nest, swallows need to catch something every few minutes. They can't wait several days for insects to repopulate.

All sorts of outbuildings are used by barn swallows, from small sheds to the hayloft of huge barns. The one requirement is that they have access, usually through an open door or window. Simply removing a single 8x10 inch window pane may entice swallows to use your shed, but, a larger entrance or two entrances may prove more appealing. The coming and going of even a small colony at nesting time would create quite a traffic jam if all flights were funneled through a single 8" window.

Assuming swallows are hunting near your home, the chances of attracting them to nest in your building are fair, and well worth the minimal effort required to try. In addition to providing access to the building, be sure that cats do not have access. Nothing could discourage a prospective swallow tenant more than finding a major predator lurking about. Swallows prefer unpainted rough cut wood on which to build their mud nests, since the mud will not adhere well to smooth surfaces. They usually build the nest on a vertical surface just slightly below the ceiling, allowing very little headspace above the finished nest. Nesting ledges are readily used when the interior of the building is painted or planed wood. 5 by 3 inch shelves should be placed 5 1/2" inches under the ceiling. The droppings of the swallows will be confined to a small area directly under the nest, so take this into consideration when placing the shelves. However, it is a simple matter to put down a newspaper under each active nest. Fecal sacs are eaten by the parents for the first day or so and then carried off, but, by day 15, the nestlings begin to back up to the edge of the nest and defecate over the edge. Your newspaper will have collected quite a pile of fertilizer by the time the second brood fledges.

In addition to offering a nesting site, a tray of mud should also be provided directly below the entrance to the building. Nest building is a time consuming process for busy swallows who sometimes have to travel several hundred yards to a stream bank or other source of mud. During dry weather, a tray of mud is easier to keep moist than the conventional technique of hosing down an area of bare ground.

Our swallows incorporate horsehair extensively into their mud nests. If this is not available, they use straw. I wouldn't recommend purposely providing horsehair because instances of birds becoming entangled in horsehair snares protruding from the nests have been reported. I have never witnessed this, but have found numerous loops of hair protruding from the mud nests.

During cold, wet weather, when insects are not flying, swallows can fail to provide enough food for their young. During such weather, insects can be provided in feeders such as previously described for bluebirds (vol 1, No 2, Home Ground). Unlike purple martins, barn swallows are not limited to catching their food on the wing. However, it is more difficult to attract them to a feeder.We also offer crushed egg shells in a jar lid feeder as a calcium source at egg laying time.

If you wish to attract barn swallows to nest in a building that you often enter, such as a work shop, be prepared to alter your activities to allow the birds to adjust to the presence of a human in their home. While the pair are building a nest, entering the building frequently should not bother them, as long as you stay only a minute or two and don't approach the nest. After eggs are laid, the swallows will become quite possessive of their nesting area. They may mob you whenever you enter their room. However, if you ignore them and go about your business, while staying away from the nest, they will quickly get used to your presence. It is important that you do not keep the birds from incubating for more than a few minutes. Also, do not enter the room after dark while the birds are incubating or brooding. If the female leaves the nest and flies outdoors, she may not return until daybreak. Once the adults have accepted you as harmless, you can check nests with no ill effect, especially if you use a mirror rather than climbing up and putting your head close to the nest. There is, however, one more critical stage. When the young are about to fledge, it is best to stop checking the nests. The nestling swallows seem much quieter than many species and won't mind your presence in the room. But, if you climb up and stick your face or hand in the nest, they will quite likely decide to leave the nest, even if it is a day or two before their wings are up to that first flight. It is virtually impossible to then put them back in the nest. The act of putting one back will cause another to leap out. Cats, raccoons, and any other predators that may frequent the outbuilding will be waiting for this opportunity.

The swallow population in our barn grows very slowly from year to year. As many as 70 young are fledged each year, but, only one or two additional individuals appear the following spring. We have no idea how many successfully disperse to other colonies and how many simply don't survive their first migration. Several of our broods often fledge at nearly the same time, and we then see ten to twenty fledglings lined up on an electric wire in our yard, waiting to be fed. A second brood often follows, and immature birds are often seen helping to feed this second brood.

As soon as the last of the second broods fledge, the swallows leave our barnyard to spend most of their time hunting near the creek, showing absolutely no interest in the barn where they worked so industriously for the past several months. They drink and bath on the fly (we call it water skiing), and do most of their hunting over or near the water. The swallows seem to enjoy the easy life of late summer, when they do not need to work every minute of the day to feed their young. They are often seen perched above the creek, doing nothing at all. But, the easy life is short lived, as the end of summer approaches and they prepare for their long journey south. We always view their leaving with some trepidation, never being sure that many or any of them will make it back in the spring. The colony in our barn has done extremely well in the past few years. It is rare that an egg does not hatch or a nestling not fledge. Once fledged, we can only guess their survival rate. The nature of the beasts make them difficult to count. We have counted at least 60 at one time in August, however, individuals from other nearby colonies may have joined ours at the creek.

The barn swallow has clearly benefitted from it's association with humans, however, in doing so, it has put itself in a more vulnerable situation. Humans are a diverse lot; some individuals will gladly cater to the needs of this beautiful species, while others will knock down every nest of a colony and replace the broken glass where they had gained entrance. I imagine all humans look alike to the swallow, and choosing the right barn is just a matter of luck.

Artificial nests for barn swallows

Attracting barn swallows

Barn Swallow colonial nesting sites

Transplanting a barn swallow nest

2001 nestbox camera

Back to birds page