Swallow
Featured in: Year 1: Seasonal changes
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Swallow
Bird
A small, fast bird with a long, forked tail. You see them sitting on telephone wires in summer.
Seasonal Behaviour:
In autumn, you won't see any swallows. They have all left the UK to fly thousands of miles to Africa! This journey is called migration. They leave because it gets too cold in the UK and all the flying insects they eat disappear.
💡 Fun Facts
- Swallows fly all the way to South Africa, which can be 6,000 miles away.
- They are so good at flying that they can eat, drink, and even have a nap while on the move.
- They often return to the very same nest they used the year before.
📅 Through the Year
- In the UK:April to September
- Breeding:May to July
Name Story
Hirundo rustica
means “the country swallow”
What does its name mean?
- Hirundo — swallowLatin
- rustica — of the countrysideLatin rus 'country'
Both of its names point to the same place: the countryside, where this swallow plasters its cup of mud onto the beams of barns and farm sheds. Each summer it flies all the way from Africa to nest in them.
🔎 Featured in a nature example
See this creature's story: The Swallow's Sun Compass