Hirundo rustica

Posted 5 April 2010 by

Photograph by Kari Tikkanen. Photography contest, Honorable Mention.
Hirundo rustica -- barn swallow.

10 Comments

Old Ari · 5 April 2010

Why is it pink and not white?

Honer · 5 April 2010

The correct Latin name should be H. rustica, without a capital letter.Maybe pink due to the time of day.

Matt Young · 5 April 2010

The correct Latin name should be H. rustica, without a capital letter.
Yes, thanks, that's right -- I copied something incorrectly. Now fixed.

Deklane · 5 April 2010

Here I was, all set to enjoy some pleasant commentary about the pretty birdie picture -- and then Brother Mabus hits me in the face with a bellow of rage from the bowels of Hell. What does Brother Mabus have against pretty birdies?

Jim Thomerson · 5 April 2010

We have had a nest on the back porch for several years. Last year they successfully got off two broods.

Deklane · 5 April 2010

Let me add that what I was responding to above has since been moved or removed, doubtless to the relief of everyone. It is a nice picture, though. The rather falcon-like outspread wings make me think of something you'd see carved into the wall of some ancient Middle Eastern tomb, representing the divine attributes of King Hammurabi or some such, though the small head kind of throws off the imperial effect.

fnxtr · 5 April 2010

Unless Hammurabi is Sumerian for "pinhead". :-)

wright1 · 6 April 2010

My compliments to the photographer. What an exquisite image of Flight.

Crudely Wrott · 6 April 2010

I love to watch swallows in flight. When I was little they were an aerodynamic role model as I trimmed and launched balsa wood gliders. I thought the barn swallow's scimitar-shaped tail feathers were used to capture prey. *Silly boy, they're used to look good to the girls!*

Graceful, capable birds and a very nice image. Thanks to Kari and Matt.

CS Shelton · 12 April 2010

I am so familiar with the orange-bellied North American variety I thought for a second it was a picture of the wrong species. Checked it out and lo, the rest of the world has off-white-bellied barn swallows.

These guys were a favorite of mine for a while. They're crazy kamikaze fliers, zipping in front of bicycles, people, and cars - just to show off, as far as I know. Very common here.
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