Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Tap image to enlarge · Wikimedia Commons
Overview
The Swallow is one of the most familiar summer visitors — with its deep-blue back, red face, cream underparts and long tail streamers, it's one of Britain's most beautiful birds. It arrives in April and by September is gathering in large pre-migration roosts in the Marshside reedbeds before heading to South Africa. In a warm summer evening above the Sefton Coast farmland, dozens of Swallows scooping low for insects is one of the pleasures of the season.
At a Glance
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Hirundinidae |
| Habitat | Farmland · Coastal grassland · Wetland edge · Buildings (for nesting) |
| Diet | Flying insects — caught in fast, acrobatic aerial pursuit |
| UK population | Around 860,000 pairs; amber-listed |
| Sefton Coast | Common summer visitor throughout the Sefton Coast farmland; spectacular pre-migration gatherings at Marshside |
| Conservation | UK Amber List |
Where to See It
Farmland around the Sefton Coast, over Marshside lagoons. Gathers in large roosts in reedbeds before migration in September.
Identification
Streamlined hirundine. Blue above, cream-white below, deep red throat. Long forked tail with distinctive tail streamers (male's longer). Much more graceful in flight than House Martin. Tail streamers obvious.
Viewing & Photography Tips
Visit Marshside in September at dusk to see pre-migration Swallow roosts gathering in the reedbeds. Numbers can be in the thousands. The sky fills with them before they descend into the reeds.
Conservation Status
UK Amber List
This species is on the UK Amber List for Birds (BoCC5), indicating moderate concern. Population monitoring and habitat management remain important for its continued recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Swallow migrate to for winter?
UK Swallows migrate to sub-Saharan Africa, primarily wintering in South Africa. Ringing studies and satellite tracking have shown that birds from a single UK farm can disperse across hundreds of kilometres of southern Africa in winter. The migration is up to 10,000 km one way. Birds begin heading south from July onwards.
Related Species
Plan your visit to the Sefton Coast
Marshside RSPB, Formby pinewoods, Ainsdale NNR — practical guides to getting there, what to bring, and the best spots for each season.