A well-known to many, the barn swallow is often called the killer whale. These small birds in humans are associated with warmth, young greenery and gentle sun. The killer whale in Christianity is a symbol of resurrection. According to the clergy, this tiny bird tried to throw a crown of thorns from the head of Christ.
In many countries, village swallows are a symbol of hope and kindness. Killer whales in 1999 were selected by the Union for the Conservation of Birds of our country as the mascot of the year. With these cute birds there are many folk signs and various beliefs. One of them says that the one who ravaged the nest of swallows is waiting for bad luck, misfortunes and all sorts of troubles.
Another belief claims that if the swallows under the roof of your house made their nest, then it is safe from fires. If the swallows arrived from the south early - the year will certainly be happy.
Subspecies
Among the swallows that live on European territory, two species are most common: village and urban. Their main difference is that the swallow living in the city builds a nest outside the buildings, and several pairs can build their houses in close proximity to each other.
Barn swallows prefer to move away from relatives, its nests are usually located inside structures. City swallow in flight makes more frequent flapping wings, and at the same time it soars a lot.
origin of name
For many novice ornithologists, the killer whale is of interest. Why is this little bird called so? The swallow got its second name because of the long and thin tail feathers. They are called "pigtails." According to the same principle, another bird got its name - killer whales.
External features
A killer whale is much smaller than a sparrow - its body is only fifteen centimeters long, and its weight does not exceed twenty grams. The upper body of the bird is black, the plumage has a faint metallic luster. The lower feathers are white-pink or pale beige. The neck and forehead are reddish brown. The tip of the tail is bifurcated and completed by two narrow and long extreme feathers (pigtails).
There are practically no gender differences between males and females, except that the pigtails in males are slightly longer. Young birds have a paler color, and they do not have pigtails.
Vote
The killer whale, a photo of which you can see in this article, has a rather sonorous and loud voice. The singing of males is heard before departure for the winter and during the autumn migration. Males sing their songs, sitting on wires or in the air. Ornithologists have identified several peaks in increasing the intensity of singing. As a rule, they coincide with the laying of eggs during two breeding cycles and during the collection of autumn flocks. At this time, the song of the swallow, apparently, is a voice signal that combines broods and members of the pack.
Especially beautiful are the village swallows (killer whales) in quiet and warm twilight. At this time, they are especially lively. Song after song, males sing in whole groups. It is only, at first glance, the long twittering of these birds seems vague and continuous. In reality, the killer whale performs a song consisting of distinct periods. Each of them ends with a short and dry bang. Then follows a short subtle whistle - and the bird begins a new song.
Periodically, the flock flies as if on command, but after some time it returns to the same place in small groups to relax, clean its feathers, sing its sonorous songs, and then again fly up into the sky together. Such take-offs are accompanied by disturbing sounds - “weaves”. During nesting, the same sound can be heard when the parents worry at the nest.
Habitat
These glorious birds live on almost all continents, with the exception of only Antarctica. Barn swallows are migratory birds. Every year they go for winter to warmer climes, and then return to their places of permanent residence.
Killer whale: nesting
These birds nest in rural areas of Northern Europe and North America, the Middle East and Asia, Japan and North Africa, as well as South China. Killer whale winters in Indonesia, Micronesia, South Asia. Usually they make nests in places with enough food. Another prerequisite is the presence of a water source.
Most often they build nests in various outbuildings: in attics, in baths, in barns, under awnings.
Breeding
Killer whales are monogamous, monogamous birds. Married couples form in spring after returning from wintering. Each year, couples are formed in a new way, however, there are cases when, after a successful brood, they remain cohabiting for several years.
Males attract females by spreading their tail and issuing friable trills. Males left without a pair often join the formed “family” and remain with them throughout the season. Although they do not feed the chicks, they take an active part in the construction and protection of the nest, which has the shape of a bowl. Birds build it from wet clay and soft herbs. Usually it is mounted under a stone or canopy.
Progeny
The mating season lasts from May to the end of August. Both parents build a nest for future offspring. There are usually two broods per season. The female lays in the first clutch from four to seven eggs, in the second - from three to six. White eggs with brownish, purple or gray spots. Both parents hatch the clutch.
The incubation period lasts about fifteen days. Chicks hatch completely naked and helpless. Parents feed their babies up to 400 times a day, and before giving the chick an insect, the swallows roll it into a tight ball. The offspring is in the nest for twenty days. After this period, young birds must learn to fly.
At the end of September, one can observe a mass flight of chicks. Independent young birds form large flocks and fly in search of food along the shores of lakes and swamps, river meadows. In September, in individual flocks, the number of swallows increases to a thousand, and sometimes more. At this time, the departure to the places of wintering begins.
Food
Killer whale catches food in the air. Flying over open places or over the forest, near settlements, sometimes around grazing animals, these birds catch various insects. Sometimes they manage to capture insects sitting on the walls of buildings or from grass, and extremely rarely they collect food from the ground.
Since the swallow feeds in the literal sense of the word on the fly, there is an opinion that the behavior of these birds can be used to judge what weather is expected in the near future. However, this is not quite true. Barn swallows catch insects, always flying at low altitude. This swifts and city swallows hunt at high altitude, and in the evening, when the insects fly away, fall below. In any case, the behavior of the swallows can not be judged on the approach of rain.
Saving view
Killer whales are birds that spend most of their lives in the air. That is why birds are very dependent on climatic conditions. With prolonged inclement weather, they die in huge numbers. For example, ornithologists are well aware of such an incident that occurred in Switzerland (1974). Then hundreds of thousands of swallows died due to the absence of flight weather for a long time.
Indifferent inhabitants of the country did their best to save the birds — they collected half-dead birds and transported them to the warm Mediterranean countries by transport. Unfortunately, village swallows die not only because of bad weather. In Italy, they are allowed to hunt.
Undoubtedly, the global economic activity of man negatively affects the number of species. The village swallow, as its name suggests, does not tolerate concrete and asphalt. The reduction of green spaces, rivers and ponds leads to a decrease in the number of these birds. Moreover, this process is catastrophically fast.
In many European countries, to attract swallows, to preserve the species, clay, earth and manure are poured into special containers so that the birds do not lack a building material for nests.
