Perched Barn Swallow

"Perched Barn Swallow" by Debbie Oppermann. Anyone that lives on a farm or in a rural area should be quite familiar with the steel blue and tawny Barn Swallow. The preferred habitat of the barn swallow is open country with low vegetation, such as pasture, meadows and farmland, preferably with nearby water. This swallow avoids heavily wooded or precipitous areas and densely built-up locations. The presence of accessible open structures such as barns, stables, or culverts to provide nesting sites, and exposed locations such as wires, roof ridges or bare branches for perching, are also important in the bird's selection of its breeding range. The barn swallow will mob intruders such as humans, cats or accipiters that venture too close to their nest, often flying very close to the threat. This lovely Swallow was showing off it's fine forked tail while perched on a wire by the silo.