Barn Swallow (redirected from Hirundo rustica)

Barn Swallow 

(Hirundo rustica), a bird of the order Pas-seriformes. The upper part of the body and a stripe on the breast are black with a blue sheen, the head and throat are reddish chestnut, and the abdomen is white or rust colored. The body measures 18-23 cm long. The tail feathers are in the form of thin, narrow sickles. The barn swallow is distributed in Europe, North Africa, Asia, and North America. In the USSR it is found everywhere south of the forest tundra. A migratory bird, it nests in structures near human habitation. The nest is cup-shaped and made of clumps of dirt mixed with saliva; it is fastened beneath eaves. There are two clutches per summer. The barn swallow is beneficial by destroying flies and other flying insects.

REFERENCE

Ptitsy Sovetskogo Soiuza, vol. 6. Edited by G. P. Dement’ev and N. A.Gladkov. Moscow, 1954.