City Swallow - description, habitat, interesting facts

City swallows are considered to be welcome guests of the settlement at any time of the year. They differ in their interesting behavior and appearance. They live in almost all corners of the planet, except for 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 of the body, they grow to 34 grams. with a maximum length of 23 cm. A distinctive feature is considered to be wings of a large size, their span is 35 cm. When the wings are in the assembled position, they noticeably protrude from 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 single feature - the tail in the form of a wedge, wings narrow, straight and elongated.
3. For representatives of the urban family for a long time already accustomed to be close to people. Swallows build their nests on the floors in various openings. In some climatic regions, people make nests on their own and hang them under their roof.
4. Humanity has long been accustomed to such a feathered neighborhood. In some nations, the love of swallows lasts for decades. People believe that these little feathered friends are a symbol of wealth, happiness and loyalty. If they build a dwelling next to the person, then the latter will be happy.
5. Not only urban type birds get along well with people. There is also a barn swallow who 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 variety 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, Asia and Africa. Of course, these feathered friends inhabit the Russian Federation.
7. If birds, by their natural features, live in warm climatic zones, they lead a sedentary lifestyle, only occasionally shifting to the south. But all the other members of the family go to warm lands for the winter, and then return to their native spaces again.
8. When birds migrate, they may not stop for a long time to feed. They are nimble and maneuverable, catching insects on the fly. Due to the interesting features, it makes sense to get acquainted with these feathered creatures in more detail.

City swallow

1. Representatives of the subspecies can not boast of impressive size. According to the weight category, they hardly reach the figures of 20 degrees, and the length of the body does not exceed 17 cm. In the upper part of the body there are feathers with a bluish tint. The same situation is observed on the head, covered with black and blue plumage.At the bottom of the feathers are white, the tail has a triangular shape.
2. Almost all part 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 drink some water.
3. This bird is easy to distinguish from the sebaceous. Their limbs are covered with feathers of a whitish tone. Some people confuse city representatives with village ones. The latter are larger in size, they have white feathers on the lumbar region.

Coast Swallow

1. Another common variety of these individuals. The bird is migratory in nature. The distinctive characteristics of the form are considered small size, as well as the plumage of a brown color at the top of the hull. On the abdominal part, chest and under the tail white feathers are present. Sexual dimorphism is absent.
2. The birds are similar in flight to the rest of the passerines. As the name implies, these individuals prefer to settle near water sources. They are found on the coast, as well as near water. Birds are there in search of food.
3. These individuals prefer to dwell in flocks, but some couples can fight off the colonies and get food on their own. Individuals nest on the cliffs, then return to their dwelling after wintering (if it takes place).

Barn Swallow

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

Lifestyle

1. Often, the individuals in question give preference to precisely warm regions with comfortable climatic conditions. In such an area, birds can feast on various insects almost all year round. It is the food of animal origin that is the basis of the swallows ration.
2. Individuals who live in colder regions have to change their place of stay twice a year.People believe that as soon as the swallows arrive, this indicates that the warm spring is coming. It is after this that you can see how nature begins to wake up after long frosts.
3. With the onset of autumn, the considered individuals are preparing for the flight. Swallows spend most of their time in the air. Sometimes they sit down on wires and branches to take a short break. You will hardly see such birds on the ground. 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, it’s likely to rain. In most cases, such patterns coincided. This can be explained by the fact that the humidity in the air rises, and it is more difficult for insects to climb at a decent height. Because of this, the swallows are forced to hunt in the lowlands near the ground.
5. It is worth noting that the birds are very slow to walk on the ground. This can be explained by the fact that individuals have a very long tail and short legs. If the swallows walk on the ground, they expose themselves to great danger. They are hunted not only by cats, but also by other predators.A surprising 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 true to each other until the end of days. During nesting, birds jointly start building a nest. Also, individuals are sent to the joint flight in search of food.
2. With the onset of autumn, the represented birds also go together for migration. As for the offspring, the swallows take care of the young, until it stands on the wing. It should be noted that in males the tail fluffs strongly in males. They can also be seen on the characteristic loud twitter.
3. Thus, they attract the attention of females. As soon as the pair has formed, they are engaged in the construction of a new dwelling. In addition, the swallows can occupy the old homes. They proceed to the restoration of an abandoned nest. Often grass, moss and bird fluff are used as building materials.
4. As soon as the dwelling is fully prepared, the female proceeds to the laying of eggs. After mating in the nest there can be no more than 7 eggs. They have a white color with dark patches.Vydikoy offspring individuals are engaged in turn. About half a month later, chicks are born.
5. It is worth noting that the youngsters appear 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 youngs to get stronger and stand on the wing, a minimum of 20 days must pass.

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

Video: city swallow (Delichon urbicum)