Wildlife

Wild Barn Swallow Decline and Insect Prey Availability

Barn swallow populations are declining due to reduced insect prey availability linked to agricultural intensification.

Key Facts

UK barn swallow populations declined 38% between 1995 and 2019
Swallows are insectivorous aerial feeders entirely dependent on flying insect abundance
Agricultural pesticide use and land drainage have reduced insect availability across farmland
Swallows are long-distance migrants, making them vulnerable to pressures across their range
Farm building access for nesting is declining as modern agricultural buildings are sealed

Welfare Considerations

Barn swallows experiencing prey scarcity face nutritional stress during breeding and prior to migration, with reduced breeding success and chick starvation in poor insect years. Individual birds failing to accumulate sufficient premigratory fat face mortality during trans-Saharan migration. Insect restoration on farmland directly improves swallow welfare.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes that restore insect-rich habitats on farmland
Avoid pesticide use in gardens to support local flying insect populations
Provide open nest site access in farm buildings where safe to do so
Participate in swallow monitoring to contribute to population trend data