Barn swallow populations have declined significantly as intensive farming reduces the insect food supply and the availability of traditional barn nesting sites.
Barn swallows face welfare challenges at multiple stages of their remarkable migratory lifecycle. Breeding swallows that cannot find sufficient insect prey due to agricultural intensification raise fewer chicks and fail to build adequate fat reserves for migration. The loss of traditional barn nesting sites forces birds to attempt unsuitable alternatives or fail to breed entirely. On migration, swallows face extreme weather events and habitat degradation at stopover sites. Each of these constraints reduces individual welfare and breeding success, contributing to the population decline that represents both a conservation and welfare concern.