Barn Swallow vs Common Kestrel

Hirundo rustica 对比 Falco tinnunculus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Barn Swallow Common Kestrel
学名 Hirundo rustica Falco tinnunculus
Passeriformes Falconiformes
Hirundinidae Falconidae
保护状况 Least Concern Least Concern
体长 19.0 cm (7.5 in) 34.0 cm (13.4 in)
翼展 33.0 cm (13.0 in) 74.0 cm (29.1 in)
体重 19.0 g (0.67 oz) 190.0 g (6.70 oz)
食性 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 …
产卵数 2-7 1-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Barn Swallow 19.0 cm
Common Kestrel 34.0 cm
翼展
Barn Swallow 33.0 cm
Common Kestrel 74.0 cm
体重
Barn Swallow 19.0 g
Common Kestrel 190.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

共同栖息地

Barn Swallow only

Common Kestrel only

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

鸣唱

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

鸣唱

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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保护状况

Least Concern

Barn Swallow

Least Concern

Common Kestrel

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How to Tell Them Apart

Barn Swallow

羽毛

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

Common Kestrel

羽毛

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.

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

红隼(Falco tinnunculus)— 广泛分布于欧洲、亚洲和非洲的小型隼。以悬停空中寻觅地面猎物的行为为特征。

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