HomeBack The Howland Picture Pages: Barn Swallow

Page by Royce
Last update: $Date: 2004/01/28 04:50:04 $ (UTC)

The Barn Sparrow (Hirundo rustica) is a free-wheeling acrobat of the skies. These Swallows are found all over North America in the summer, and in fact have the broadest range across the world of any Swallow. They are often evident in rural areas where their mud nests are frequently located in farm buildings (hence the name) and other man-made structures. The deeply forked tail and combination of rufous under feathers and glossy blue-green upper feathers easily sets this bird apart from cousins such as the Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow or Cliff Swallow.

Barn Swallows are part of many early and current memories we have from family farm and acreage environments in Canada and the United States. On a summer day, watching them dart through the air and hearing them twittering is a pure joy. Knocking the mosquito population down is a nice bonus.

Resources where you can find out more:

"See this? This is the wing of an
aerial acrobat!"

This Barn Swallow is one of several we saw on a Sunday afternoon August 10, 2003 while visiting family in the area of Ardrossan, Alberta. Seeing one sit still isn't that common, so I grabbed my camera and snapped a few quick shots.

EXIF 2.2 photo info:

  • 320 x 368 true color
  • Exposure time: 1/226.30
  • F-stop: 6.6
  • ISO speed: 100
  • Focal length: 71.2000 (with 1.5X teleconverter)
  • Exposure mode: Auto
  • White balance: Auto
  • Exposure bias: 0.0000
  • Metering mode: Center Weighted
  • Exposure program: Aperture priority
  • Gain control: None
  • Contrast: Normal
  • Saturation: High
  • Sharpness: Hard
  • Camera make: NIKON
  • Camera model: E5700

Tune-up done, ready to launch...

Here the Swallow is thinking deep thoughts, perhaps planning a new set of acrobatic maneuvers, before darting back into the air.

EXIF 2.2 photo info:

  • 320 x 329 true color
  • Exposure time: 1/254.40
  • F-stop: 6.6
  • ISO speed: 100
  • Focal length: 71.2000 (with 1.5X teleconverter)
  • Exposure mode: Auto
  • White balance: Auto
  • Exposure bias: 0.0000
  • Metering mode: Center Weighted
  • Exposure program: Aperture priority
  • Gain control: None
  • Contrast: Normal
  • Saturation: High
  • Sharpness: Hard
  • Camera make: NIKON
  • Camera model: E5700

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