Todd Henson Photography

Barn Swallows have a dark blue back with a light underside and an orange/brown throat. Their tail has a very distinctive v-shaped fork, the largest seen in any of the swallow species in North America. They also have white spots along their tail.

Barn Swallows are amazing birds. They are very agile in flight. I have watched them feed their young on the wing, the young sitting on a branch and the adult flying in, shoving an insect down the throat of the young and then moving on, without ever landing. Barn Swallows have also been very cooperative from a photographic perspective. In some of the parks I frequent Barn Swallows are common and have no fear of humans. They will land very close by and sit for long periods of time, calling every so often. They have amazingly large mouths for such small birds.