Swallows catch insects in midair with their wide open beaks and agile flight.

The longer version

A swallow's bill is short but the gape is wide, opening into a large funnel fringed in some species with small bristles that help guide prey inward. The bird flies with a stiff, flicking, gliding style and takes insects one at a time, steering with a deeply forked tail that works as both brake and rudder.

Insect supply depends on the weather, so swallows feed low over water and fields when cold air pushes insects down, and higher when it is warm. They drink by skimming. Because flying prey is their whole living, they migrate long distances rather than face a winter without insects, returning on much the same dates each year.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.