Barn Swallow Coloring Pages

The Happy Messenger of Spring! Secrets of the Barn Swallow

The Barn Swallow is a famous migratory bird that comes to Japan when spring arrives. During the winter, they live in warm southern countries like Southeast Asia. When the flowers bloom, they come back to Japan to raise their babies. For a long time, the Barn Swallow has been known for building nests under the eaves of people's houses. People have always taken good care of them because they are helpful birds that eat pesky bugs.

The Barn Swallow's Body and Life

The Barn Swallow has a special body shape for flying well, and they have cool ways of living.

• Cool wings and tail feathers: The Barn Swallow has long, thin, sleek wings. Their most special feature is their split tail, called a forked tail. Thanks to this tail, they can turn quickly in the air and fly super fast.
• A home made of mud: The Barn Swallow mixes mud from rice fields and dry grass in its mouth to make a nest shaped like a bowl. They use their own spit like glue to stick the nest tightly to the wall.
• Flying hunters: The Barn Swallow almost never lands on the ground to eat. While flying through the air, they open their big mouths wide to catch and eat small insects like flies, mosquitoes, and horseflies.

How to Choose Colors to Make It Look Real

When you color the Barn Swallow coloring page, try thinking about its shiny "gloss" that changes color in the light!

• Back color: The Barn Swallow's back is not just plain black. When sunlight hits it, it shines with a slightly bluish color called "navy blue." If you color it light blue over black, you can make cool feathers just like a real one.
• Red throat: The most special feature is the bright red under the Barn Swallow's face on its throat. If you color this part brightly, everyone will know it is a Barn Swallow right away.
• White belly: The belly looks pure white, but if you add a tiny bit of shadow with light gray, its body will look round and 3D.

Show How Fast It Flies Through the Sky

When you color a flying Barn Swallow, try drawing fast swoosh lines around it.

• Background ideas: You can draw a blue sky, or you can draw under the roof of a house where they make nests. It is also fun to draw telephone poles where many Barn Swallows gather.
• Chicks in the nest: When you draw a nest, add some "chicks" inside opening their big yellow beaks wide. This makes a lively scene with the parent bird bringing food.

Try Coloring with Any Colors You Like

It does not have to be real colors. A rainbow Barn Swallow or a glowing golden Barn Swallow is great too. Use your imagination to create a wonderful Barn Swallow that is the only one in the world!

Little Adventurers Traveling Thousands of Kilometers

The Barn Swallow flies all the way to Japan from southern countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. That is an amazing distance of 2,000 to 5,000 kilometers! They are super powerful birds that can fly 50 to more than 100 kilometers in just one day.

Humans Are the Ultimate Bodyguards

The Barn Swallow builds its nest at front doors and under store roofs, but not just because they like people. Enemies like crows and snakes are scared of humans and stay away. The Barn Swallow is a smart bird that uses this to turn places near humans into safe shelters.

Drinking and Bathing on the Wing!

The Barn Swallow is not very good at walking on the ground. So when they drink water, they fly right over the surface of ponds or rivers and scoop up water with their beaks. When they take a bath, they splash into the water and keep flying!

They Come Back to Their Favorite Spots

The Barn Swallow has a great memory. If a nest from last year is still there, the same Barn Swallow might come back, fix it up, and use it again. Even if the nest is broken, if they like the spot, they will build a brand new one from scratch.

Town Cleaners Eating Lots of Bugs

A Barn Swallow family eats tens of thousands of bugs in just one season! They eat lots of mosquitoes that bite humans and bugs that hurt farm crops. That is why people have always said that a Barn Swallow bringing its nest to your home brings good luck and good health.

Where Do They Sleep at Night?

From summer to autumn after raising their babies, thousands or even tens of thousands of Barn Swallows gather to sleep together in reed beds, which are tall grassy areas near rivers. This big sleepover is an important time for them to get ready for their long trip south.