Barn swallow
Images copyright by Mark A. Chappell
Barn swallows are found throughout much of the world, and the ones in North America are among the most colorful, with their bright rufous underparts. Males are slightly brighter and longer-tailed than females, and they use these traits to try to obtain multiple matings. They get their name from their fondness for building their mud nests in old (and sometimes new) buildings. The birds in the upper photos were photographed during spring migration near Riverside, California; the pair of juveniles below were near Manhattan, Kansas.
