Swallow (Barn Swallow)
Hirundo rustica
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Distribution Britain 2,626 (+1.1%) Ireland 982 (-0.4%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 570,000 Ireland 250,000 European status: 15,000,000 (5% in Britain and Ireland = 6) British population trend: some declines but CBC up 20%{-16%} How likely are you to record it? 3111 squares (69.3%) Ranked 11 [4] |
This bird is the symbol of summer and was a familiar summer visitor all over Britain and Ireland save for the very west of Ireland and the Outer Hebrides 100 years ago. Nesting was not common on Orkney and was sporadic on Shetland. The birds must have learnt to use the typical man-made nesting sites a few hundred years ago since it was earlier called the 'Chimney Swallow'. The birds certainly colonised western Ireland (including some of the islands) and became better established in the distant parts of Scotland by the time of the first Breeding Atlas. There were further gains on the Outer Hebrides and Orkney, particularly, logged in the second Atlas. However there are many reports from the Home Counties of Swallows being lost as a breeding species. Large numbers of farms have lost their livestock and the consequent lack of insects may be a problem for Swallow populations. The birds are not easy to census accurately for the CBC and many younger birdwatchers have no memory of just how common Swallows used to be in rural areas. Recent thinking that the number of breeding attempts by each breeding pair may be very important in determining the long-term health of the species may apply to this species — although NRS results do show earlier and more successful nesting from about 1985 to 1996. Still serious concerns about a species apparently coping well with modern conditions.
The following Bird On! pictures are available:
Swallow (Watercolour by Robert Gillmor)
The following Bird On! sketch is available:
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead