Description of the swallow for preschool children. 50 interesting facts about swallows

We are all pleased to find this bird outside our window, because when the swallows arrive, spring comes. They are migratory birds with long pointed wings and streamlined bodies. Due to this shape of the body, their flight is very fast. They are often seen over fields, gardens, lakes, where insects are in abundance. They are recognized by their forked tail. There is a legend that says that this bird helped people steal fire from the gods, an angry god threw a burning coal into it, which, hitting in the middle of the tail, burned it.

Swallow: description

Swallows have a metallic blue-black color, the breast and belly are light gray, with a reddish forehead in young animals, in adults the breast and forehead are white. They have a long forked tail with a number of white spots on individual feathers. The wings of the swallow are pointed, have external tail feathers (streamers), in males they are slightly shorter than in females.

The size of an adult male is 17-19 cm in length, including a tail of 2-7 cm. The wingspan is 32-34.5 cm, in the air the bird makes 5.3 flaps per minute, weight is 16-22 g. If the tail is shorter, so it's a female swallow. The description of the bird is very similar to the swift, and they are often confused. The head is flattened, with a short beak. Adults molt once a year from about August to March.

This bird has a very wide distribution, it can be found all over the world, with the exception of the northern regions. The flight of a swallow is not high-speed, usually the speed is 5-10 km / h at a height of 7-9 meters above the ground or water. At the same time, she is very maneuverable, since she needs to catch insects in the air. In flight over water, it can simultaneously swim, diving into the water.

Food

Swallows are insectivorous. In the air during the flight, they catch insects with their wide-open beaks. In bad weather, birds may eat some berries, seeds, and dead insects. Prolonged rainfall can create problems for finding food, leading to the fact that they die. Flying over water, birds dip their beaks into the water and scoop up moisture for drinking.

Nesting

Spring swallows arrive around April, they build nests of mud and plant fibers on beams, under the roofs of houses or on ledges of rocks, inside they cover them with straw and down. Existing nests have been frequently updated and reused for almost 50 years. The time from the beginning of nest construction to the emergence of young is from 44 to 58 days. Too fast construction or dampness can cause nests to collapse or fall.

To build a house, birds collect mud from the edges of ponds, puddles and ditches, for a complete construction, you will need to fly from the puddle to the nest about 1000 times. Mud gathering and nest building are social activities for rock martins. Numerous small holes from their beaks remain on the surface of the puddles.

Songs of the swallows

The sounds that the bird makes are similar to gurgling and chirping. This is how swallows communicate with each other when feeding babies, fly up to nests and in the presence of danger. The sound emitted is low, soft, hoarse, like a creaking door.

reproduction

These birds are usually monogamous, keeping bonds with one partner. Marriage for one season is also found, in rare cases, the male has two females. Birds often nest in colonies. The paired swallow usually aggressively defends a small area around the nest from other individuals. The description of reproduction and development is as follows:

Swallows (Hirundinidae) are birds belonging to the order of passerines, and are represented by several species that differ not only in external characteristics, but also in their habitat.

Description of the swallow

To date, a full description has been given of about eight dozen species of representatives belonging to the swallow family. Such feathered creatures are found almost everywhere.

Important! The unique structure of the body makes the bird very maneuverable and allows it to catch even the fastest insects during the flight, and the mouth with a wide slit makes it convenient for birds to feed directly on the fly.

Appearance

Despite quite tangible differences, all currently known species of swallows that live around the globe have a lot of similar features, which are presented:

• metallic sheen of feathers in the back;
• wide chest;
• extended at the base and rather shortened beak;
• a fairly large mouth;
• lack of external differences between male and female individuals;
• plumage tight to the body;
• tenacious fingers and long claws;
• lack of differences in plumage color between chicks and adult birds.

Among other things, swallows belong to the category of birds that are not too large in size and wingspan. All types of swallows are characterized by the presence of very long wings compared to the body. Their maximum span can vary between 33-35 cm.

It is interesting! The lower limbs of the swallow are practically absolutely not adapted for movement on the ground, and if circumstances force such a movement, then the bird of this species walks very awkwardly.

Despite the quite impressive length, the swallow wings are relatively narrow, and the tail section resembles a fork in its shape. The plumage of the swallow in the back is dark in color, and the feathers covering the abdomen are characterized by white or light beige. Depending on the species, the plumage of the swallow can differ strikingly in color and tint.

Lifestyle and character

Swallows belong to the category of common migratory birds, leading an exclusively diurnal lifestyle. The arrival of such birds falls in the middle of the last spring month. The second half of the month is devoted to building nests and laying eggs.

The process of incubation of eggs by a swallow lasts on average a little less than a couple of weeks, and the period of feeding the chicks takes about three weeks. Birds become ready for mass departure with the onset of autumn.

The singing of a swallow remotely resembles a chirp, ending with a trill, very characteristic of this species of songbird. Almost all varieties of swallows are birds that lead a social lifestyle, so they gather in fairly large groups.

It is interesting! As a rule, swallows try to settle near natural water bodies, where there is a significant amount of nest building material and food insects, including small grasshoppers, as well as medium-sized dragonflies and crickets.

Very often, flocks sit on wires or other various elevations. Nests are also built in large colonies, in which each pair actively defends the area around its own nest.

How long does a swallow live

According to long-term observations, the average life expectancy of a swallow is about four years. However, among the swallows ringed by specialists, a life span of eight years was observed.

Types of swallows

Despite the fact that there are about eight dozen species of swallows on a global scale, the most widespread and almost ubiquitous habitats are:

• barn swallows. The species is characterized by a bluish-black back and wings, a whitish-pink chest and abdomen. Among the people, this species received a fairly widespread and original name "killer whale". These birds prefer to settle in close proximity to human habitation. Very often, birds of this species build nests under the roof of residential or abandoned houses. The barn swallow arrives after the end of the winter period, with the onset of summer;
• city ​​swallows. A characteristic difference between the species and the barn swallow is the presence of lighter plumage in the abdomen. Among other things, the city swallow, which is popularly referred to as the "funnel", is most widespread exclusively in the northern regions of our country;
• ground swallows. This species includes common swifts, the main difference of which from most of the closest relatives is the ability to allocate not too deep minks dug in the ground for their housing. However, despite its name, a significant part of the life of ground swallows occurs directly in flight, and this species leads a terrestrial lifestyle only when arranging a nest, as well as oviposition and incubation of its offspring;
• tree swallows. A distinctive feature of such a swallow from many other species is a very bright and very interesting coloring of plumage. The feathers of these fairly widespread birds are not just black, but with a very characteristic and extremely attractive, thick purple tint.

Of particular interest are ant swallows. Such a medium-sized bird is distributed exclusively in the territory South America. The main difference from a significant part of other representatives belonging to this family is the inability to migrate.

Important! The largest of the swallows common in North America is the purple forest, which is a fifth of a meter long, and the name is due to the appearance of a purple color in plumage in chicks by winter.

Ant swallows are sedentary, and the name is due to the ability of such birds to use colonies of wood ants as the main food. A characteristic feature of this species is the presence of strong and strong legs.

Range and habitats

Swallows spend a very large amount of energy on the process of foraging and that is why such birds need a significant amount of it. As a rule, the natural habitat for most species of swallows are mainly southern countries, where soil and climatic conditions are optimal for birds, and in addition there is a sufficient amount of food.

It is interesting! It should be noted that all species that live in tropical zones are classified as sedentary, and species in the temperate zone climate zone- migratory, flying to warm countries, starting from the last summer month.

Almost completely, birds of any species belonging to the order of passeriformes are absent in the territory of the subpolar regions and in the northern part of the temperate zone. A significant species diversity of the swallow is represented by the territory of Africa, but such birds are quite often found on other continents as well. For example, the breeding range of the Barn Swallow is very wide, and includes both large and small settlements devoid of an urbanized landscape.

Feeding and prey of swallows

For your nourishment, swallows different types use exclusively all kinds of flying insects. Even in conditions of very severe, non-flying weather, birds never replace this type of food with various larvae or seeds and larvae, which makes such birds quite vulnerable during the period of starvation.

Feeding territory, as a rule, is located within a radius not exceeding half a kilometer from the nest. Most often, the swallow catches its prey in open areas, including lawns, river valleys, mountain slopes and fields.

The basis of the diet is insects, represented by mosquitoes, midges, flies, small butterflies, beetles and dragonflies. Immediately before the rain, with an increase in the humidity in the air, the flight of insects is much more difficult, and it is for this reason that the swallows descend close enough to the ground, where the main amount of food is located. This behavioral feature of the swallow became the basis for signs used in predicting the weather.

It is interesting! Low flights of swallows are not always associated with the approach of rain, since on fine evenings, a significant number of insects often accumulate directly above the ground, and the birds are forced to fly very low.

Reproduction and offspring

Swallows belong to the category of monogamous birds; therefore, pairs formed from sexually mature adults remain, as a rule, throughout their lives. However, as observations show, after the process of copulation, male swallows quite often find themselves near other nests.

Within the territory of European countries, swallows return to nesting around April or May, and for the inhabitants of the northern borders of the natural range, it is typical to build a nest and prepare for oviposition in the middle of the first summer month. As practice shows, North African populations start building a nest in the last decade of March or early April.

Under natural conditions, nests are most often built by wild swallows in rocky caves or in limestone crevices. As long-term observations show, some pairs of such birds can join the settlements of coastal swallows and occupy abandoned burrows in clay coastal river zones.

Swallows are social birds living in colonies consisting of several tens and even hundreds of pairs. Nests built by birds, in this case, are located close to each other, and the birds inhabiting them get along well with each other. The average nest building time is about a couple of weeks.

An earlier arrival of the female is often observed and independent construction her nest for oviposition. After the arrival of the male, next to the unfinished nest, only one member of the family pair is constantly on duty, and the second is looking for building materials for a significant part of the time.

Important! A significant part of the city swallows prefer nesting in the city, where bird nests are built under roofs, erected under window cornices and under bridges, and sometimes even in completely unusual places including river ferries.

In appearance, the swallow's nest resembles a closed hemisphere, and the main building material to create such a dwelling, earthen clods and sticky saliva of birds become. The width of the finished nest is approximately 110-130 mm with a height of 70-120 mm.

At the top swallow's nest necessarily equipped with a small size, the so-called inlet. The diameter of such a gap is sufficient for a sparrow to crawl inside the nest. When a sparrow appears in the nest, the swallow has to leave it and look for a new place for its housing.

The inside of the nest is covered with a fairly soft bedding, which can be represented by grass, wool and down, which are obtained by birds during the flight. After the fertilization process, the female lays about five white eggs, 1.9-2.0x1.3-1.4 cm in size. The average egg weight is approximately 1.6-1.7 g. The entire incubation period lasts a couple of weeks, but under adverse weather conditions, it may well stretch for three weeks.

In the process of incubation, only the female swallow is involved, and if the weather is good, the male takes her feeding. On rainy days, the female has to get her own food exclusively on her own.

When born, the chicks are so weak that the parents themselves have to break the shell and help their offspring with the birth. After the chicks of the swallow have reached the age of three or four weeks, they can fly independently, but for another week they are fed by both parents.

According to ancient beliefs, if a swallow builds a nest under the eaves of a house, then the family will be well-being and happiness. It is also said that swallows settle in the homes of only kind and good people. There are a lot of different legends about swallows, and each tells something new.

Swallows are not large birds that love warm climes. There are 79 species of swallows.

Habitat

Swallows are often migratory birds. If they live in warm countries, then they remain in place for the winter period, but if the winters are cold, they fly away to warm lands, and return with the onset of heat.
Swallows are birds from the order of passerines, most spend time in flight. They even feed mainly on the fly, catching small insects and bugs.

Appearance

Swallows are not large in size and reach a body length of 10 to 20 cm and a weight of 15 to 60 grams.

The top of the head, wings, back and tail are blue-black in color. The area above the tail and the entire bottom of the bird are white. It has a small and wide beak.

Birds have dense plumage. The wingspan is about 35 cm.

The main types of swallows

city ​​swallow

The city bird has a dark blue color, weighs about 20 grams and has a length of about 14.5 cm.
This species mainly lives in the crevices of rocks and mountains. They live in Asia, Sakhalin and Europe.

sand swallow

This species is slightly smaller, the length of the bird is about 13 cm, and the weight is 15 grams. Coloring has a brown tint.

Settle in the gorges of rocks on the coastline, making "burrows" up to 1.5 meters deep.

barn swallow a

The species of barn swallow has an oblong body with a length reaching 24 cm and a weight of 20 grams.

A feature of this species is the tail, which is slightly longer than the previous ones and the red plumage of the bottom of the head.

This species makes its nests under the roofs of village houses. You can meet this kind of swallows in Africa, America, Asia, Europe.

The nest is made from mud, small twigs, grass and feathers.

All types of swallows feed mainly on flies, beetles, mosquitoes and butterflies, which are caught on the fly.

Swallows choose their chosen one, with whom they spend their whole lives, but there are also polygamous couples. In the nests, the clutch is mainly 4-7 eggs. Chicks hatch almost naked and helpless. Both parents constantly feed the offspring, which feeds up to 300 times a day.

The life span of a swallow is about 4 years.

Option 2

The class Birds is definitely different from other animals, at least in that they can fly. One of the most beautiful representatives is the genus of swallows. But what do they have besides beauty?

Swallows are divided into 3 main types: urban, rural and coastal. Despite the fact that it is found near the rocks, this bird has adapted to city life. It has long wings, a small beak and a notched tail. Dimensions are approximately 12 to 17 centimeters. Swallows weigh no more than 18 grams. It flies quickly and nimbly, manages to make 5.3 strokes in 1 second, and the size of one stroke is from 20 to 33 centimeters. Very weak voice, but that doesn't stop the funnel from being quite chatty. Live for approximately 4 years. Sometimes they live up to 8 years. Well developed eyes. Funnels are diurnal.

Swallows are distributed throughout Europe, except for the Kola Peninsula and parts of Scandinavia. It has already been said that funnel nests are built near rocks. To be more precise, in the caves. They can also nest under the roofs of houses and take nests from the coast. It is worth clarifying that city swallows are migratory birds.

Food

They eat exclusively beetles, flies, mosquitoes, horseflies, cicadas, grasshoppers, butterflies and arachnids. Wasps, bees and other poisonous and stinging insects are not touched. Prey is caught in flight.

Enemies of swallows

Of the natural ones, only one can be noted. The Hobby Falcon is as fast as the Funnel Falcon, but less agile. But this is not their only problem. Ticks and fleas live on the bodies of swallows. Clearly, nothing good.

Curious facts about swallows

1) 95% of the time swallows are in the air. This is due to the fact that they walk carelessly on land.

2) The funnel, if desired, will be able to increase its speed to 120 kilometers per hour.

3) Swallows have such good eyesight that they can only reach a tiny insect with their eyes.

4) Barn swallows build their nests in such a way that there is a kind of roof on top. The nests themselves are somewhat reminiscent of a quarter of a hollow ball. But urban funnels have different nests: there is nothing on top and the shape is not one quarter, but half a ball.

5) Little chicks are fed more than 300 times in 1 day!

6) Swallows not only feed in flight, but also drink, have sexual intercourse and even fall asleep.

7) There is a sign: if the swallow soars too close to the ground - this is a downpour.

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Summary of the lesson "Visiting the swallow" for children 5-6 years old

Perevezentseva Galina Evgenievna, teacher of additional education, MBOU DOD Center for Children's and Youth Tourism and Excursions (young tourists) in Lukhovitsy.
Material Description: I present to your attention a summary of the lesson “Visiting a swallow”, which is aimed at familiarizing children with the outside world and its inhabitants. To instill a caring attitude towards our natural wealth. This material will be useful for educators of senior and preparatory group kindergartens. For children from 5-6 years old.
Target: To help children learn about the world around them, develop their powers of observation, teach them to think logically, to be aware of what they see.
Tasks:
- tell the children that swallows are very useful, and they consume harmful insects;
- to educate children in kindness, the ability to take care of birds, to watch them;
-to teach to experience the joy of knowing that by sharing crumbs you can save birds from hunger;
Equipment: feed (seeds, oats, millet, plant seeds).
Lesson progress:
Educator: guys today we have come to one of the most beautiful places of our district is the children's health-improving base "Rosinka".

Look how beautiful it is here. And we will begin our lesson - a walk with a very interesting verse, listen carefully. And tell me who we will talk about and who we will watch.
The swallow made a nest
Above the window, under the roof.
And now in the morning the whole house
He hears the chirp of a bird.
I was told - the bird is here
Hiding testicles.
And now they live in a nest
Little birds.
I was watching her
The whole week.
I saw this -
They say I don't believe it!
When it flies with a worm,
To leave him
And the little ones from the nest
Their mouths are open.
Such a small chick!
But towards the food
Ka-a-k will open a big mouth,
Yes, not a mouth - a mouth!
It is very difficult for a mother bird:
Flying all day
Busy from morning to night
Rest does not know.
To let her rest
(Very sorry for the bird)
I'll give her a little
A grain of wheat.
Eat my grains!
I brought you.
Maybe your chicks
They will grow faster.
Z. Berezina
Children: About the swallow.
Educator: Correctly, the swallow is a small bird, in total there are up to 120 species inhabiting all countries. All are excellent fliers and spend most of their lives in flight; walks on the ground very awkwardly and reluctantly. They feed on insects, which they catch exclusively on the fly. They belong to the number of very useful birds, eating a very large number of insects.
Listen to the riddle here:
Not a beast, not a bird
Nose like a needle;
Lying - screaming
Sits down - is silent;
Who will kill him
Shed his blood.
Children: Mosquito
Educator: Who among you has been bitten by mosquitoes?
Children: answer
Educator: I see and hear everyone, mosquitoes bit you. And you know how annoying it is. But the swallow eats mosquitoes.
Swallows build nests on rocks, in cliffs on buildings, very rarely on trees; some species arrange them in coastal cliffs, pull out deep minks. And our swallow built its nest from clay and earth, glued together with swallow saliva.
I warn the children in advance that it is impossible to make noise and shout near the nest. And I bring the children to the house where the swallows live with their chicks.
Look under the roof of this fabulous house, the swallow has made a nest for herself. And already, what year has she been coming here to breed her chicks. The swallow lives here from spring to autumn. The swallow tray is always lined with soft plant rags and feathers. In clutch from 3-7 eggs, testicles white color, sometimes with streaks. In one year, a swallow can make 1-2 clutches.

Guys look carefully, who is peeking out of the nest?
Children: joyfully three chicks.
Educator: correctly, three chicks are waiting for their mother to fly in and feed them.
(chicks do not pay attention to us, attention, only their beaks open and squeak)

When the swallow flew in and saw us near the house. She did not immediately approach her cubs. She circled a little, calmed down that nothing threatened them and her, flew into the nest. And she went about her usual business.
The children watch carefully as the swallow puts the food that she caught into each chick in her beak. She fed and flew away again for food in the forest.
Educator: Guys, there is a table at the house, let's pour our treat for the birds on it, which we brought with you.
Children: seeds, oats, millet, plant seeds, bread crumbs are poured onto the table.
I'm talking to children.
And now let's move away so as not to interfere with the swallow and continue our lesson.
There are stumps at the base, where we settled down. And from there they continued to watch how the swallow worked.
Guys who can show how the swallows squeak?
Children: begin to squeak to imitate the chicks.
Educator: Have you looked closely at the mother swallow?
Children: Yes.
Educator: Tell me what color is it?
Children: the back is black and the breast is white.
Educator: In urban swallows, guys, the color of feathers is blue-black, casts with a metallic sheen. Near the upper tail - plumage is white. And the barn swallow has a dark blue back with a metallic sheen. On the chest - a wide dark stripe. The belly is light, there are white spots on the tail. The beak is flattened, the incision of the mouth is large.

What is the tail of a swallow?
Children: It's like it's been cut in two.
caregiver: Well done, they carefully examined the swallow and saw everything. Listen to the proverbs about swallows:
Spring is not complete without the first swallow.
The swallow builds nests, the bee builds honeycombs.
The swallow begins the day, the nightingale ends.
(from the Internet)
The swallow is considered the sacred bird of the goddess Isis in Ancient Egypt and goddesses of motherhood in some other cultures. Therefore, it is impossible to destroy the nests of swallows. And in general, any bird nests should not be touched and destroyed. After all, birds are our feathered friends.
While we were sitting on the stumps, tits, blackbirds, wagtails, a robin, a woodpecker flew to our table to help ourselves. The children were delighted with so many birds and so close they did not see. When the swallow flew in, all the birds flew away. And we continued our work.
Educator: I give you riddles, and you try to guess them.
Who is under our roof
Did the little one blind the house?
Already heard from the window
Someone's loud voice.
(Martin)

She lives under roofs
He builds his nest out of clay,
Busy all day long
Doesn't sit on the ground
Flying high in the clouds
Midges eat on the fly,
In a black tailcoat, honey,
Is it called?...
(Martin)

Love the wires
And they always sit on them.
And chirping under the window
Morning, evening and afternoon.
And affectionate with the chicks,
And beautiful....
(Swallows)

Comes to us with warmth
The path has been long.
Sculpts a house under the window
From grass and clay.
(Martin).
S. Melnikov

We are bird's eye view
We can predict the weather
Here's to the rain - flies down
In the house - a basket under the eaves.
In the beak carries water:
Building a house is useful.
Dirt stick sticks
In a nest for…
(Swallows)
E. Telushkina

There are enough midges on the fly,
Tail-thin braids,
Can predict the weather
You know this bird.
(Martin)
A. Izmailov
Educator: Well done guys, you guessed the riddles, and now it's time to play.
Game "Swallow and midges".
In order for us to choose who the Swallow will be, we will count the rhyme:
Tili-tel the birds sang
Soared - flew to the forest
The birds began to nest
Who does not Viet, to drive.
The selected swallow catches midges. Whoever she touches becomes a swallow, and they are already catching midges together. The game continues until all the midges become swallows.
Educator: Guys, our walk at the wonderful Rosinka base has come to an end. The bus came for us and it's time for us to return to the kindergarten.
Let's say thank you to the swallow for allowing us to examine ourselves and our cubs. Did you like it?
Children: Yes.
On the bus, the children had long discussions about birds, chicks and mother swallows.

The little swallow twice a year makes a long flight from habitats to wintering grounds and back. Their migration is a complex and dangerous process. Very often due to bad weather conditions they die in droves along the way. A migratory bird with elongated wings and a long tail with a slit, spends most of its life soaring in the air, very rarely sinking to the ground. Moreover, swallows eat, mate and even sleep on the fly. Today, about 120 species of these birds are known and studied.

Representatives of the swallow family, living in almost all regions of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia, easily adapt to any conditions. Birds often choose cornices of buildings, mountain cliffs, stone caves, cozy corners under bridges, less often tree branches as a nesting place. Birds build their nest from earth or clay, sticking them together with saliva. The bottom of the nest is lined with feathers and plant rags. The female lays 3-7 eggs. Males and females differ little, except for the less contrasting plumage of the female. The migratory swallow is one of the useful birds that eat a large number of insects.

Photo: barn swallows are building a nest.

The birds are small in size, have a dense dark blue plumage with a beautiful metallic sheen. Traditional breeding territories are North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, South China, Japan. The central regions of Africa are best known for the species diversity of swallows. There are about 15 species here. Swallows living in warm climatic zones lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Swallows in the picture.

In the European territory, urban and village swallows are most widespread. The former differ in that they attach their nests outside buildings in close proximity to each other. Barn swallows usually nest separately from their winged relatives inside outbuildings and houses.