Barn swallows are colorful insect-eating birds of open country and are common summertime residents in the Skiatook area. They can be seen flying low over meadows in search of food or skimming across ponds to pick up floating insects.
Appearance
The head, back and wings are blue-black, the breast is buffy and the throat is reddish brown. They have a long, forked tail that makes them easy to recognize in flight.
Nesting Habits
Barn swallows nest under bridges and culverts and under the eaves of houses, porches and outbuildings. The nest is a bowl of mud pellets and grass lined with feathers.
A pair is nesting on our front porch. Both birds fly out together to collect nesting material and return together. One usually has mud, the other grass or straw. The bird with grass positions it in the nest, then the one with mud packs it in. Great teamwork! They lined the nest with chicken feathers collected from a neighbor’s flock. It took six days to build the nest, start to finish. The birds will make up to a thousand trips to collect enough mud and grass.
Eggs and Young
Eggs are incubated for two weeks, and the young fledge three weeks after hatching. Once the young are flying the parents will pass food to them in flight, showing them how to catch flying insects.
Living With Barn Swallows
If they happen to nest on a house porch, they can make a big mess, but it’s easy to wash down with a hose after nesting is over. They are certainly worth having and watching.
How long does it take barn swallows to build a nest?
About six days, with up to a thousand trips to gather materials.
How long do baby barn swallows stay in the nest?
They fledge about three weeks after hatching.
Do barn swallows return to the same nest each year?
Yes, they often repair and reuse nests.
