Barn Swallow vs Common Kestrel

Hirundo rustica so với Falco tinnunculus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Thuộc Tính Barn Swallow Common Kestrel
Tên Khoa Học Hirundo rustica Falco tinnunculus
Bộ Passeriformes Falconiformes
Họ Hirundinidae Falconidae
Tình Trạng Bảo Tồn Least Concern Least Concern
Chiều Dài 19,0 cm (7.5 in) 34,0 cm (13.4 in)
Chiều Dài Sải Cánh 33,0 cm (13.0 in) 74,0 cm (29.1 in)
Khối Lượng 19,0 g (0.67 oz) 190,0 g (6.70 oz)
Chế Độ Ăn 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 …
Số Trứng 2-7 1-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Barn Swallow 19,0 cm
Common Kestrel 34,0 cm
Chiều Dài Sải Cánh
Barn Swallow 33,0 cm
Common Kestrel 74,0 cm
Khối Lượng
Barn Swallow 19,0 g
Common Kestrel 190,0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Môi Trường Sống Chung

Barn Swallow only

Không

Common Kestrel only

Không

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

Tiếng Hót

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

Tiếng Hót

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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Tình Trạng Bảo Tồn

Least Concern

Barn Swallow

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

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How to Tell Them Apart

Barn Swallow

Bộ Lông

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

Mỏ

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

Common Kestrel

Bộ Lông

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.

Mỏ

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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