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Barn Swallow


Barn Swallow
Photo Information
Copyright: Igor Germanovic (germma) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1041 W: 38 N: 1046] (9762)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-16
Categories: Daily Life, Nature, Event, Decisive Moment
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-17 0:01
Viewed: 318
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. A distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings, it is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.In Anglophone Europe it is just called the Swallow; in Northern Europe it is the only common species called a "swallow" rather than a "martin".
There are six subspecies of Barn Swallow, which breed across the Northern Hemisphere. Four are strongly migratory, and their wintering grounds cover much of the Southern Hemisphere as far south as central Argentina, the Cape Province of South Africa, and northern Australia. Its huge range means that the Barn Swallow is not endangered, although there may be local population declines due to specific threats, such as the construction of an international airport near Durban.

The Barn Swallow is a bird of open country which normally uses man-made structures to breed and consequently has spread with human expansion. It builds a cup nest from mud pellets in barns or similar structures and feeds on insects caught in flight.

This species lives in close association with humans, and its insect-eating habits mean that it is tolerated by man; this acceptance was reinforced in the past by superstitions regarding the bird and its nest. There are frequent cultural references to the Barn Swallow in literary and religious works due to both its living in close proximity to humans and its conspicuous annual migration. The Barn Swallow is the national bird of Estonia.

he adult male Barn Swallow of the nominate subspecies H. r. rustica is 17–19 centimetres (6.7–7.5 in) long including 2–7 centimetres (0.8–2.8 in) of elongated outer tail feathers. It has a wingspan of 32–34.5 centimetres (12.6–13.6 in) and weighs 16–22 grams (0.56–0.78 oz). It has steel blue upperparts and a rufous forehead, chin and throat, which are separated from the off-white underparts by a broad dark blue breast band. The outer tail feathers are elongated, giving the distinctive deeply-forked "swallow tail." There is a line of white spots across the outer end of the upper tail.
The female is similar in appearance to the male, but the tail streamers are shorter, the blue of the upperparts and breast band is less glossy, and the underparts more pale. The juvenile is browner and has a paler rufous face and whiter underparts. It also lacks the long tail streamers of the adult.
The song of the Barn Swallow is a cheerful warble, often ending with su-seer with the second note higher than the first but falling in pitch. Calls include witt or witt-witt and a loud splee-plink when excited. The alarm calls include a sharp siflitt for predators like cats and a flitt-flitt for birds of prey like the Hobby. This species is fairly quiet on the wintering grounds.

The distinctive combination of a red face and blue breast band render the adult Barn Swallow easy to distinguish from the African Hirundo species and from the Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) with which its range overlaps in Australasia. In Africa the short tail streamers of the juvenile Barn Swallow invite confusion with juvenile Red-chested Swallow (Hirundo lucida), but the latter has a narrower breast band and more white in the tail.
kiwi_explorer, Redrubin, eosnut, tanburi, CyberMeritam, Fortuna, jusninasirun has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi İgor,
What a lovely composition vith excellent POV, colours, light and colours.TFS.
Regards,

hAyAti

Good morning Igor

A nicely presented capture of this swallow. They are so fast and very difficult to shoot as they dont sit still for long. Lovely framing suits the image well and excellent notes too

TFS regards Helen

Dobro jutro druze...
Lijepa fotka...
Dobra kompozicija...
Pozdrav

Hello Igor!
i more like this photo if you took this a little bit closer...
but the overall presentation is good! Congratulations man!

Ollie

Hi Igor,
Nice diagonal placement of the pole cutting across the frame. Good minimalist composition ... well composed and presented. Description is also informative and interesting to read. Well done! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

  • Great 
  • Koala Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 390 W: 19 N: 74] (2726)
  • [2008-06-17 1:22]

Good Morning Igor!
This little birds are so beautiful.
I think it's preety hard to capture this...it's hard to capture birds of all kinds :)) :P

Have a nice day!

Alexandra

ohohooo
this week no botanic but veterinary medicine!
ok let s go and start our new lesson herr professor!
very nice idea!
good work
ciao
and have nice day
Lucio

Hi Igor
wonderful presentation for its beautiful blue color framed black.
great composition.
aducational note.
regards
tsilla

  • Great 
  • Kiwis Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1590 W: 0 N: 184] (12916)
  • [2008-06-17 2:37]

Hi Igor,
Excellent point of view for your shot of this lovely bird. Light and colors are great too. Well done.
Have a nice day!
Diane

Hi Igor,
Lovely shot of the little guy.
I have seen them occasionally here in NZ, they seem to feed on flying insects by swooping just above the ground.
I've never had a chance to photograph one though.
Cheers my friend,
Pete.

  • Great 
  • jone Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1906 W: 76 N: 0] (18995)
  • [2008-06-17 3:52]

Pozdrav druzhe ;)
izvanredna fotka...super,
J ;)

Једноставно а лепо!
Поздрав.
А.

Hello Igor,
Wonderful diagonal position,
Well suited framing
Marverlous
TFS
Selahattin E

  • Great 
  • jawa Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1701 W: 0 N: 1] (11486)
  • [2008-06-17 7:47]

Hi Igor
Alone on the world. Good composition.
Gr Jos

Hello Igor,
Beautiful composition and POV.Nice capture and well framed.

TFS

Regards,
CM

Hello Igor. Beautiful capture of this swallow. Interesting perch on diagonal line. I like the perspective and thanks for sharing. Best regards. Jusni

Hi, Igor!

Excellent diagonal composition, simple but nice shot.


TFS,

jazmin

Hi dragi Igore
Odl;icna kompozcija i prekrasno makro na ovaa lastovica. Cinis osven proletta nosi se samo ubavina.
Mnogu pozdravi
Melanija

Hello Igor,

Great perspective and excellent shot, very well framed!
Congratulations and TFS,

Sergio
on wednesday

  • Great 
  • zomik Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 198 W: 59 N: 173] (2405)
  • [2008-06-21 2:31]

Hi Igor :)
Photograph very much nicely composed. Excellent POV. Frame well selected.
well done
Greetings
Zosia

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1549 W: 143 N: 2154] (19358)
  • [2008-06-21 8:00]

Hello Igor, well presented and nicely composed shot, good sharpness and good exposure, thanks!

Mario

  • Great 
  • dorian (68)
  • [2008-06-26 13:53]

Wonderfull composition Igor,
very nice diagonale..excellent idea!

Hello Igor! Simply wonderful picture. Good POV, very good composition. Perfect capture. Well done!

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