Barn Swallow vs Great Cormorant
Hirundo rustica 对比 Phalacrocorax carbo
Side-by-Side Comparison
| 属性 | Barn Swallow | Great Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| 学名 | Hirundo rustica | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| 目 | Passeriformes | Suliformes |
| 科 | Hirundinidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| 保护状况 | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| 体长 | 19.0 cm (7.5 in) | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) |
| 翼展 | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) |
| 体重 | 19.0 g (0.67 oz) | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) |
| 食性 | Aerial insects caught in continuous agile flight, including flies, beetles, moths, and aphids. Drinks by … | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … |
| 产卵数 | 2-7 | 1-7 |
| 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.
Great Cormorant
Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.
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.
Great Cormorant
Deep, guttural grunts and 'karrr' calls at colonies. Bill-clicking and hissing in threat displays. Silent at sea. Colonial noise can be deafening during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Barn Swallow
Breeds across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters in South America, Africa, and South Asia.
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
保护状况
Barn Swallow
Great Cormorant
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
Great Cormorant
All black with a bronze-green gloss. White throat patch and white thigh patches in breeding season. Yellow-orange face patch around the bill base.
Long, hooked, dark bill with a yellow gape
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.
Great Cormorant
The great cormorant is one of the most widespread seabirds in the world. Unlike most waterbirds, cormorants lack fully waterproof plumage, leading to the iconic pose of standing with wings spread open to dry. In Asia, cormorants have been used by fishermen to catch fish for over a thousand years.