Barn Swallow Population Analysis
Barn Swallow has declined: down 25% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Barn Swallow
The most widespread swallow in the world, the deeply fork-tailed Barn Swallow nests on barns, bridges and buildings and hunts insects low over fields and water.
- Size
- 6–8 in long, about 0.7 oz (15–20 cm, 19 g)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing over fields and water.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,922 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Hirundinidae · Aerial insectivores
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Barn Swallow TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Barn Swallow. See the full index history below.
Barn Swallow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Barn Swallow is projected to stay roughly flat through 2030, near 10 (95% range 6.9–14). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±6%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Barn Swallow Is Detected
BBS routes recording Barn Swallow, sized by most recent count.
Barn Swallow Population Trend by State
Barn Swallow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Barn Swallow Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 25% since 1968. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.