Wildlife

Wild Swallow Barn Nesting Welfare

Barn swallows depend on access to farm buildings for nesting and face welfare threats from building renovation and loss of traditional open structures.

Key Facts

Barn swallows require access to enclosed spaces for nest attachment on rafters
Modern sealed farm buildings prevent swallow access for nesting
Swallows are highly site-faithful returning to the same nest site annually
Population decline is linked to loss of nesting access and invertebrate prey reduction
Providing open eaves or special swallow entry holes in buildings supports nesting

Welfare Considerations

Swallow welfare is threatened by loss of accessible nesting sites as farm buildings are modernised. Individual birds returning to find previous nest sites sealed face breeding failure after a long migration. Maintaining nest access through simple building modifications prevents welfare harm at minimal cost.

What You Can Do

Maintain access to farm buildings or install swallow entry holes
Never block active swallow nests which is illegal during breeding season
Record swallow nesting sites through BTO monitoring programs