Barn Swallow vs Common Kestrel

Hirundo rustica ile kıyaslandığında Falco tinnunculus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Özellik Barn Swallow Common Kestrel
Bilimsel Ad Hirundo rustica Falco tinnunculus
Takım Passeriformes Falconiformes
Familya Hirundinidae Falconidae
Koruma Durumu Least Concern Least Concern
Uzunluk 19,0 cm (7.5 in) 34,0 cm (13.4 in)
Kanat Açıklığı 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 74,0 cm (29.1 in)
Ağırlık 19,0 g (0.67 oz) 190,0 g (6.70 oz)
Beslenme Aerial insects caught in continuous agile flight, including flies, beetles, moths, and aphids. Drinks by … Primarily voles and mice, also lizards, large insects, and small birds. Hunts by hovering at …
Kuluçka Büyüklüğü 2-7 1-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Barn Swallow 19,0 cm
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Kanat Açıklığı
Barn Swallow 33,0 cm
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Ağırlık
Barn Swallow 19,0 g
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Ortak Yaşam Alanları

Barn Swallow only

Hiçbiri

Common Kestrel only

Hiçbiri

Barn Swallow

Open farmland, meadows, and areas near water. Nests almost exclusively in human-made structures such as barns, bridges, and eaves.

Common Kestrel

Open country including farmland, grasslands, moorland, and urban areas. Common along motorways and in cities across Europe.

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Song & Call Comparison

Barn Swallow

Şarkı

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.

Common Kestrel

Şarkı

A shrill, repeated 'kee-kee-kee-kee' or 'kik-ik-ik', especially near nest. Alarm call is a nasal chattering. Generally less vocal than larger falcons. Calls ring clearly in open country.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Barn Swallow

Breeds across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters in South America, Africa, and South Asia.

Common Kestrel

Europe, Asia, and Africa. One of the most common and widespread raptors in the Old World.

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Koruma Durumu

Least Concern

Barn Swallow

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

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How to Tell Them Apart

Barn Swallow

Tuy

Metallic blue-black upperparts, rufous forehead and throat, and pale buff to rufous underparts. Deeply forked tail with elongated outer streamers.

Gaga

Short, wide, flat black bill adapted for catching insects in flight

Common Kestrel

Tuy

Males have a blue-grey head and tail with a rufous back spotted with black. Females are rufous-brown with heavy barring. Both have a dark moustachial stripe.

Gaga

Short, hooked grey bill with a yellow cere

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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.

Common Kestrel

The common kestrel is Europe's most abundant falcon, famous for its ability to hover motionless in the wind while scanning for prey. Research has shown kestrels can see ultraviolet light, allowing them to detect vole urine trails that reflect UV. The species has adapted remarkably well to urban environments.

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