Barn Swallow vs Budgerigar
Hirundo rustica compared with Melopsittacus undulatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Barn Swallow | Budgerigar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hirundo rustica | Melopsittacus undulatus |
| Order | Passeriformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Hirundinidae | Psittaculidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 19.0 cm (7.5 in) | 18.0 cm (7.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 30.0 cm (11.8 in) |
| Weight | 19.0 g (0.67 oz) | 30.0 g (1.06 oz) |
| Diet | Aerial insects caught in continuous agile flight, including flies, beetles, moths, and aphids. Drinks by … | Primarily grass seeds and other small seeds. In the wild, feeds on the ground in … |
| Clutch Size | 2-7 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Barn Swallow
Open farmland, meadows, and areas near water. Nests almost exclusively in human-made structures such as barns, bridges, and eaves.
Budgerigar
Open grasslands, scrublands, and woodland in the Australian interior. Nomadic, following rainfall and seeding events.
Song & Call Comparison
Barn Swallow
A rapid, twittering song: a long stream of 'vit-vit-vit' and rolling chirps. Also gives a sharp 'vit' flight call. Song can last many minutes without pause. Musical and liquid.
Budgerigar
A rising, chattering 'budgerigar' chatter: rapid series of 'chek-chek-chek' and melodic warbling. Enormous wild flocks produce a continuous roaring chorus. Good vocal mimics in captivity.
Geographic Range & Migration
Barn Swallow
Breeds across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters in South America, Africa, and South Asia.
Budgerigar
Interior of Australia, especially arid and semi-arid regions. One of the most popular pet birds worldwide.
Conservation Status
Barn Swallow
Budgerigar
How to Tell Them Apart
Barn Swallow
Metallic blue-black upperparts, rufous forehead and throat, and pale buff to rufous underparts. Deeply forked tail with elongated outer streamers.
Short, wide, flat black bill adapted for catching insects in flight
Budgerigar
Wild-type is green with yellow head and barred black scalloping on upperparts. Captive-bred varieties include blue, white, yellow, and many other colors.
Short, downward-curved, olive-grey bill typical of parakeets
About These Birds
Barn Swallow
The barn swallow is the most widespread swallow species in the world and has one of the longest migrations of any passerine. Its arrival signals spring across the Northern Hemisphere, inspiring cultural references from ancient Greece to modern poetry. Barn swallows have become almost entirely dependent on human structures for nesting.
Budgerigar
The budgerigar is the third most popular pet in the world after dogs and cats, and by far the most common pet parrot. Wild budgies travel in enormous nomadic flocks that can darken the sky. Males can learn to mimic human speech, with one record-holding budgie having a vocabulary of 1,728 words.