Wildlife

Wild Barn Swallow Decline and Welfare

Barn swallow populations have declined in the UK due to reductions in flying insect prey and changes in nesting site availability.

Key Facts

Barn swallow populations declined by 40% in the UK between 1970 and 2016
Flying insects - their primary prey - have declined by over 75% in some studies
Swallows nest in open farm buildings and increasingly face door closure
Chick welfare depends on parents catching thousands of insects daily
Climate change affects insect emergence timing and migration phenology

Welfare Considerations

Barn swallow chicks starving due to insect scarcity experience welfare harm that reflects the wider collapse of insect populations. Parent swallows with inadequate prey must fly further and longer, causing physiological stress. Insect recovery through reduced pesticide use and habitat restoration is the fundamental welfare intervention for barn swallows.

What You Can Do

Support pesticide reduction and wildflower margin creation for insect recovery
Leave barn and outbuilding doors open during swallow nesting season
Join swallow population surveys tracking breeding success