Female And Male Barn Swallow Photos

Adult female Barn Swallow in spring – Nikon D500, f10, 1/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Last week while I was high in the Wasatch Mountains I was able to take female and male Barn Swallow photos as they perched on a fence next to a creek. The females of this species typically have paler underparts than the male Barn Swallows. Their forked tails are also generally shorter than the males.

This female swallow had a remarkably lighter breast and belly than the male that she was perched close to. Her tail feathers also appeared shorter than the tail feathers of the male. These two images do not show their tail feathers well though.

The differences in the colors of their breast and belly feathers was striking to me in the field using just my eyes and looking through my viewfinder.

Adult male Barn Swallow in spring – Nikon D500, f10, 1/640, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Compared to the lighter colors of the female the breast and underparts of the male were a richer, deeper cinnamon rufous color.

I enjoyed watched these two Barn Swallows preening and fluffing their feathers through my viewfinder. More of a rufous color showed where the belly feathers of the female were damp. She may have bathed prior to me taking these photos or gotten those feathers wet while skimming the creek for food or getting a drink of cool water.

It won’t be long before I will be seeing and photographing young Barn Swallows in the high country of the Wasatch Mountains or the marshy areas of Farmington Bay WMA and Bear River MBR. Until then I hope to take more images of the adults because they are beautiful and fascinating birds.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Barn Swallow photos plus facts and information about this species.