Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
The Barn Swallow is a common migrant swallow, nesting across the country and often in urban areas. It is an excellent flying bird with slender lines which feeds on insects captured in flight.
Its scientific name has the following meaning: Hirundo is the Latin word for swallow and rustica means rural, rustic, referring the fact that this species is, as its name indicates, associated with the rural landscapes of Europe.
Text: João E. Rabaça