Barn Swallow

The Barn Swallow is a sleek, acrobatic flyer with deeply forked tail streamers and a burnished orange throat that's been sharing human structures for thousands of years. They build their iconic mud-cup nests on barn rafters, porch eaves, and bridge undersides, making them one of the most closely associated birds with human habitation worldwide. Barn Swallows catch all of their food on the wing — flies, mosquitoes, and beetles snatched in mid-air at remarkable speed. Watching them hunt low over a meadow or pond at dusk, banking and diving with effortless precision, is one of summer's great natural spectacles. They migrate to Central and South America each fall, returning to the same nest site year after year.

Recommended Chirp & Maple foods

Best Foods for Barn Swallow

The right food depends on how this bird naturally feeds. Start with the core recommendations below, then build out your backyard setup with supporting and seasonal options.

Seasonal Food

Bird Grub Pack

How to Attract This Bird

Favourite foods

Barn Swallows are aerial insect hunters that catch their food on the wing — they almost never visit feeders. Flies, mosquitoes, and flying beetles make up nearly their entire diet. The only feeder product with any chance of attracting them is insect-based suet crumbled on an open platform, but expectations should be kept very low.

Best Feeder Types

Traditional feeders won't work for Barn Swallows. If they nest on your property (often on barn eaves or porch overhangs), placing crumbled Bird Grub suet on a low open tray near their nesting site is your only real option. Focus instead on providing nesting habitat — a small shelf under an eave gives them a perfect foundation for their iconic mud nests.

Backyard Habitat Tips

Barn Swallows nest almost exclusively on human structures — barn eaves, porch overhangs, garage interiors, and bridge undersides. A small wooden shelf (15cm × 15cm) mounted under an eave gives them a nesting platform. They build mud nests, so having a patch of damp soil or a mud puddle nearby provides building material. Keep doors or windows to outbuildings open during nesting season (April–August) if you want to host them. Flying insect populations are their food supply, so avoiding insecticides benefits them enormously.

Seen this bird at your feeder?

If you’ve spotted one, log your sighting and add it to your Backyard Bird List.

See what other birders are spotting — and start tracking what visits your feeder.

Log This Sighting

Backyard Feeding Questions

A few simple answers to help you create a more active, bird-friendly backyard.

Do I need to feed birds every day?

No — but consistency helps. Birds quickly learn where reliable food sources are, so keeping feeders stocked regularly can lead to more frequent visits over time.

How long will it take birds to notice my feeder?

It depends on your location, season, and feeder setup. Some birds may find a new feeder quickly, while others take longer. Fresh food, a safe location, and consistency all help.

Are birds attracted to specific foods?

Yes. Different birds prefer different foods, feeder types, and feeding styles. Choosing the right blend or seed can make a big difference in which birds visit your backyard.

Build a Backyard They Return To

Start with the right food, keep feeding consistent, and create a space birds feel safe returning to again and again.

Small changes in food, feeder choice, and consistency can make a big difference.

Find My Blend

Best Foods for Barn Swallow

Seasonal Food

More birds you may also see

Backyard Feeding Questions