 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
Click for a larger version or to add map overlays |
||
Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
|
Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
|
-1.21 (-1.8 - -0.672)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Atlas Results
Barn Swallows were found in 1,899 squares across Saskatchewan. South of the boreal forest, they were common and widespread, and although not particularly abundant, they had the highest relative abundance of all the swallow species. Nest building was observed as early as 7 May 2017 at Last Mountain Bird Observatory, and the latest nest with young was observed in Douglas Provincial Park on 8 September 2017. North of the Boreal Transition, Barn Swallows were less common and usually restricted to areas containing man-made structures such as bridges and buildings for nesting. However, an expedition on the MacFarlane River led to the discovery of a Barn Swallow nest on a natural rock face with a small overhang on 21 June 2021. The nest contained five eggs and appeared to be built on the remains of an older nest. Barn Swallows were also observed in four other squares further downstream of the nest, but no additional nests were found.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
"Readily recognized by its long, deeply forked tail and bubbling chatter, this is the bird we envisage when we hear the word ?swallow'? (Bremner in Leighton et al. 2002). As its name suggests, the Barn Swallow adapted well to human structures, nesting in practically every farmyard, in towns and villages, and wherever structures provided a suitable nest site. The Barn Swallow is the most abundant swallow in the world and is found, as either a breeder or a migrant, on all continents except the Antarctic.
Barn Swallows forage over open ground and water, and nest successfully from prairie to boreal forest. The essential feature is a building, bridge, or other artificial structure to support a nest.
Barn Swallows are found across the province, wherever there are rural buildings or bridges. Today the northern limit extends northeast to the settlements of Black Lake, Wollaston Lake, and Brabant Lake (Smith 1996). But the news is not good and there is a general decline in all aerial insect eating birds.
Original text by Dale George Hjertaas. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Barn Swallow in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Barn Swallow in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=BARS&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
| Previous species: Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Table of Contents | Next species: Cliff Swallow |