City swallow - description, habitat, interesting facts

City swallows are considered to be welcome guests of the village at any time of the year. They are distinguished by their interesting behavior and external data. They live in almost all corners of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia.

Habitat and features

1. It is difficult to confuse swallows with other birds. Representatives of this family are famous for their small size. By weight, they grow to 34 grams. with a maximum length of 23 cm. Large wings are considered a distinctive characteristic, their wingspan is 35 cm. When the wings are in the assembled position, they bulge noticeably out of the body.
2. There are many varieties of swallows. All of them differ in behavior, color of plumage and places of distribution. However, there is a common feature - the tail is in the shape of a wedge, the wings are narrow, straight and elongated.
3. For representatives of the urban family for a long time, it is customary to be close to people. Swallows build their nests on floors in various holes. In some climatic regions, people make nests on their own and hang them under their roof.
4. Mankind has long been accustomed to such a feathered neighborhood. For some nations, love for swallows lasts for decades. People believe that these small feathered friends are a symbol of wealth, happiness and loyalty. If they build a house next to a person, then the latter will be happy.
5. Not only an urban bird coexists perfectly with people. There is also a village swallow that gets along well with cattle, pets and all the guests of a private house. Such individuals are always welcome, they are fed and protected.
6. Today, almost every species of these individuals is dependent on humans. Swallows with great pleasure build nests near people or in forest thickets, not far from settlements. The habitat of birds is quite extensive, they are present in Europe, as well as in the United States of America, Asia and Africa. Of course, these feathered friends inhabit the Russian Federation.
7. If birds, by their natural characteristics, live in warm climatic zones, they lead a sedentary lifestyle, only occasionally shifting south. But all the other members of the family go to the warm regions for the winter, and then again return to their native expanses.
8. When birds migrate, they may not stop for a long time to feed themselves. They are nimble and maneuverable, catch insects on the fly. Due to interesting features, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with these feathered creatures in more detail.

City swallow

1. Representatives of the subspecies can not boast of impressive size. In terms of weight, they hardly reach 20 grams, while the length of the case does not exceed 17 cm. In the upper part of the case there are feathers with a bluish tint. The same situation is observed on the head, covered with black and blue plumage. The feathers are white at the bottom, the tail has a triangular shape.
2. Almost all of life, these individuals are in the air. They fly so well that with their maneuvers they introduce into the stupor a person and other representatives of birds. Birds feed on insects and also drink some water.
3. This bird is easy to distinguish from the like. Their limbs are covered with feathers of a whitish tone. Some confuse urban representatives with village representatives. The latter are larger in size, they have white feathers on the lumbar.

Shore swallow

1. Another common variety of these individuals. A bird is by nature a migratory one. Distinctive characteristics of the species are small sizes, as well as brown plumage at the top of the case. On the abdominal part, chest and under the tail there are white feathers. Sexual dimorphism is absent.
2. Birds are similar in flight to the rest of the birds of the passerine family. As the name implies, these individuals prefer to settle near water sources. They are found on the coasts, as well as near ponds. Birds are there looking for food.
3. These individuals prefer to live in flocks, but some couples can fight off colonies and get food on their own. Individuals nest on cliffs, then return to their home after wintering (if it has a place to be).

Barn Swallow

1. Otherwise, individuals of this species are called feathered killer whales. The case in the upper part is pigmented with blue-black, and in the lower part there are feathers of a pinkish-white tone.
2. The frontal part and neck are pigmented in red and chestnut. In the limbs, feathers are completely absent. Males have a long tail.
3. Birds grow up to 22-24 cm in body height. They prefer to nest in small towns and villages. Build a home for posterity under the roofs of houses.

Lifestyle

1. Often, the considered individuals prefer warm regions with comfortable climatic conditions. In this area, birds can enjoy various insects almost all year round. It is food of animal origin that is the basis of the diet of swallows.
2. Individuals that live in colder regions have to change their place of residence twice a year. People believe that as soon as the swallows arrive, this indicates that a warm spring is coming. It is after this that you can see how nature begins to wake up after prolonged frosts.
3. With the onset of autumn, the considered individuals are preparing for the flight. Most of the time, swallows spend in the air. Sometimes they sit on wires and branches to take a short break. On the land of these birds you are unlikely to see. The problem is that it is extremely difficult for such birds to take off from it.
4. Also, many people claim that if the swallows began to fly low, most likely it will rain. In most cases, such patterns coincided. This can be explained by the fact that humidity rises in the air, and it is more difficult for insects to rise to fly at a decent height. Because of this, swallows are forced to hunt in a lowland near the ground.
5. It is worth noting that the birds presented are extremely slow to walk on the ground. This can be explained by the fact that the individuals have a very long tail and short paws. If the swallows walk on the ground, they will put themselves in great danger. Not only cats hunt them, but also other predators. An amazing fact is that in flight, birds can reach speeds of up to 120 km / h.

Breeding

1. Swallows are monogamous birds. When forming a pair of individuals remain faithful to each other until the end of days. During nesting, the feathered birds jointly begin the construction of the nest. Also, individuals go on a joint flight in search of food.
2. With the onset of autumn, the represented birds also go on migration together. As for the offspring, the swallows take care of the young, until he stands on the wing. It should be noted that in the mating season, the males fluff out their tail. They can also be seen on the characteristic loud twitter.
3. Thus, they attract the attention of females. Once the couple has formed, they are engaged in the construction of a new home. In addition, swallows can occupy old homes. They begin to restore the abandoned nest.Often, building materials are grass, moss and bird fluff.
4. As soon as the dwelling becomes completely ready, the female proceeds to the laying of eggs. After mating, the nest may contain no more than 7 eggs. They are white with dark spots. Individuals are involved in vysyidka offspring in turn. After about half a month, chicks are born.
5. It is worth noting that young growth appears completely naked. At this moment, the chicks are helpless and very weak. In parallel, both parents are engaged in cleaning the nest and feeding offspring. In order for the young to grow stronger and stand on the wing, at least 20 days must pass.

Despite their miniature dimensions, these birds have a decent share of exposure. They are able to fly a great distance without stopping to rest.

Video: City Swallow (Delichon urbicum)