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Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Bird · family Hirundinidae · order Passeriformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Barn Swallow
Photo: Morhaf Aljanee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
50 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
10 years[4]

The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a small bird in the swallow family[5]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Barn Swallow a global rank of G5, which means Secure, and a US breeding rank of N5B, Secure (breeding)[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. The bird is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act in USFWS data[1]. That is not the same as having no rules, because it is on the federal list of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8]. NatureServe estimates more than 1,000,000 adults worldwide[9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5B (Secure (breeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] >1,000,000 individuals

Where Barn Swallow lives

NatureServe lists the Barn Swallow as native in 50 US states and territories, including Alaska, Texas, California, New York and Florida[3]. State ranks vary. Idaho and Utah have a lower state rank than most states[10]. GBIF has the most observation records from Texas, California, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, but those counts follow where people watch birds, not how many birds live there[11].

Alaska: native, state rank S4BAKMaine: native, state rank S4BMEWisconsin: native, state rank S4BWIVermont: native, state rank S5BVTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5BNHWashington: native, state rank S4BWAIdaho: native, state rank S3BIDMontana: native, state rank S5BMTNorth Dakota: native, state rank SNRBNDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRBMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5BNYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5BMAOregon: native, state rank S5ORNevada: native, state rank S4BNVWyoming: native, state rank S5BWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5BSDIowa: native, state rank S5B,S5NIAIndiana: native, state rank S5BINOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S4B,S5MPANew Jersey: native, state rank S4B,S4NNJConnecticut: native, state rank S4BCTRhode Island: native, state rank S5BRICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: native, state rank S3UTColorado: native, state rank S5CONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRBMOKentucky: native, state rank S5BKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S5BWVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S5BMDDelaware: native, state rank S5BDEArizona: native, state rank S5AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S5B,S5NNMKansas: native, state rank S5BKSArkansas: native, state rank S4B,S4NARTennessee: native, state rank S5TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5BNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S5B,S5NDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNRBOKLouisiana: native, state rank S5BLAMississippi: native, state rank S5BMSAlabama: native, state rank S5BALGeorgia: native, state rank S5GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S5BTXFlorida: native, state rank S5BFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (50 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5BSecure (breeding)
AlaskaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
ArizonaS5Secure
ArkansasS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ColoradoS5Secure
ConnecticutS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
DelawareS5BSecure (breeding)
District of ColumbiaS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
FloridaS5BSecure (breeding)
GeorgiaS5Secure
IdahoS3BVulnerable (breeding)
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS5BSecure (breeding)
IowaS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
KansasS5BSecure (breeding)
KentuckyS5BSecure (breeding)
LouisianaS5BSecure (breeding)
MaineS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
MarylandS5BSecure (breeding)
MassachusettsS5BSecure (breeding)
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
MississippiS5BSecure (breeding)
MissouriSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
MontanaS5BSecure (breeding)
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
New HampshireS5BSecure (breeding)
New JerseyS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New MexicoS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
New YorkS5BSecure (breeding)
North CarolinaS5BSecure (breeding)
North DakotaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
OregonS5Secure
PennsylvaniaS4B,S5MApparently Secure (breeding), Secure (migrant)
Rhode IslandS5BSecure (breeding)
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaS5BSecure (breeding)
TennesseeS5Secure
TexasS5BSecure (breeding)
UtahS3Vulnerable
VermontS5BSecure (breeding)
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
West VirginiaS5BSecure (breeding)
WisconsinS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
WyomingS5BSecure (breeding)

Habitat

NatureServe records many habitat types for this bird, such as grassland, old fields, cliffs, cropland, suburban areas and orchards, wetlands and riparian areas[12]. It likes open places and is often found near water[13]. It nests on upright surfaces near a ceiling, in barns and other buildings, under bridges, and in caves or cliff crevices[13]. Birds often reuse old nests and come back to the same nesting area in later years[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[12]

Size, diet and lifespan

The Barn Swallow eats insects, and NatureServe records it as an invertivore[14]. It catches flying insects low over open land and water, mostly true flies but also beetles, moths and dragonflies[15]. Adults are about 17 cm (7 in) long[16] and weigh about 19 g[17]. A typical clutch is 4 to 5, and young leave the nest at 18 to 23 days[18]. The longest recorded lifespan in AnAge is 16 years, and the oldest known wild bird in US and Canadian banding records was at least 10 years old[19][4].

Trait Value
Typical length[16] 17 cm (7 in)
Typical adult weight[17] 19 g (0.7 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[19] 16 years
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 10 years 0 months
Litter or clutch size[20] 6
Gestation or incubation[21] 15 days
Female maturity[22] 365 days (about 1.0 years)
Food habits[14] Invertivore
Migration[23] long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[24]

  • 80% invertebrates
  • 10% seeds
  • 10% fruit

When to look for it

The Barn Swallow is active in the daytime and is a long-distance migrant[25][23]. It arrives in much of the US in April and in Alaska in May[26]. GBIF records in the US peak in May, June and July, which shows when people report the bird more than how many there are[27].

January: 9,331 recordsJanFebruary: 12,253 recordsFebMarch: 165,228 recordsMarApril: 997,969 recordsAprMay: 2,010,973 recordsMayJune: 1,151,937 recordsJunJuly: 1,100,365 recordsJulAugust: 1,094,062 recordsAugSeptember: 457,558 recordsSepOctober: 111,591 recordsOctNovember: 19,905 recordsNovDecember: 6,200 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[27].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January9,331
February12,253
March165,228
April997,969
May2,010,973
June1,151,937
July1,100,365
August1,094,062
September457,558
October111,591
November19,905
December6,200

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Barn Swallow as present in 235 park units[28]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 211 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Texas, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania[11]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Barn Swallow endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide[2].
Where does the Barn Swallow live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in 50 US states and territories[3]. It likes open areas, often near water, and nests on buildings, bridges and cliffs[13].
What does the Barn Swallow eat?
It eats flying insects, mostly true flies, and catches them low over open land and water[15].
How big is a Barn Swallow?
Adults are about 17 cm (7 in) long[16] and weigh about 19 g[17].
How long does a Barn Swallow live?
The longest recorded lifespan in AnAge is 16 years[19]. The oldest known wild bird in US and Canadian banding records was at least 10 years old[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Barn Swallow is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Barn Swallow: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Barn Swallow as native in 50 US states and territories: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Barn Swallow from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 10 years 0 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a bird in the family Hirundinidae, order Passeriformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B (Secure (breeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Barn Swallow is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Barn Swallow (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Barn Swallow: Texas, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  12. Habitat types NatureServe records for Barn Swallow: Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, Cliff, Cropland/hedgerow, Suburban/orchard, Herbaceous wetland, Riparian, Aerial. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for Barn Swallow. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  15. NatureServe notes on food for Barn Swallow. NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 17 cm (7 in). NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 19 g (0.7 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  18. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Barn Swallow. NatureServe Explorer
  19. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 16 years. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  20. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 6. AnAge
  21. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 15 days. AnAge
  22. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 365 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  23. NatureServe migration category for Barn Swallow: long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  24. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 80% invertebrates, 10% seeds, 10% fruit. EltonTraits 1.0
  25. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  26. NatureServe notes on migration for Barn Swallow. NatureServe Explorer
  27. GBIF observation records of Barn Swallow in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  28. NPSpecies park lists recording Barn Swallow as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Morhaf Aljanee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.