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Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | 20.36 g |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 43,400,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 43,400,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 3.9 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number > c.190,000,000 individuals (Rich et al. 2004), while national population estimates include: c.10,000-1 million breeding pairs and > c.1,000 individuals on migration in China; c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs, > c.10,000 individuals on migration and < c.50 wintering individuals in Taiwan; c.10,000-1 million breeding pairs and > c.1,000 individuals on migration in Korea; c.10,000-1 million breeding pairs, > c.1,000 individuals on migration and c.50-1,000 wintering individuals in Japan and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: This species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant decrease over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). In Europe, trends since 1980 have been stable, based on provisional data for 21 countries from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (EBCC/RSPB/BirdLife/Statistics Netherlands; P. Vorisek in litt. 2008). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Albania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| Andorra | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antarctica | Vagrant | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Armenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | |||
| Austria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belarus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belgium | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Benin | Native | No | |||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Bhutan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bolivia | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Botswana | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | |||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Burkina Faso | Native | No | |||
| Burundi | Native | No | |||
| Cambodia | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cape Verde | Native | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Central African Republic | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Native | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Native | No | |||
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Native | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Croatia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Cyprus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Czech Republic | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Estonia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Native | No | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Finland | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| France | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Georgia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Native | No | |||
| Hungary | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iceland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| India | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Ireland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Israel | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jordan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Laos | Native | No | |||
| Latvia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Lebanon | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Lesotho | Native | No | |||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Libya | Native | No | |||
| Liechtenstein | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Lithuania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Luxembourg | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Macao (China) | Native | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Native | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Native | No | |||
| Malta | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Moldova | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mongolia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montenegro | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | |||
| Nepal | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Netherlands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Niger | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| North Korea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Pakistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Paraguay | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | |||
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Native | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Rwanda | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Native | No | |||
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Serbia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Seychelles | Native | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Slovenia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | Native | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Swaziland | Native | No | |||
| Sweden | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Switzerland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Syria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tajikistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turkmenistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Kingdom | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uruguay | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uzbekistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Western Sahara | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Zambia | Native | No | |||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Botswana | Okavango Delta |  |
| Czech Republic | Krivoklatsko (Krivoklatsko region) | |
| Nigeria | Ebok-Kabaken | |
| South Africa | La Mercy/Mount Moreland South Africa | |
| Spain | Mountains of Barcelona | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Savanna | Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 3000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Hirundo rustica. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Hirundinidae (Swallows and martins) |
| Species name author | Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 43,400,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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