We may have new tenants with us – Barn Swallow – Japanese called Tsubame. It has been a couple days since the lovely barn swallow couple started to work on this nest. It is also lucky charm to have their nest under the roof. Our staff leave them to make them comfortable and we hope they will have some babies soon!
* Japanese name: Tsubame
* Scientific name: Hirundo rustica
* Description: A common and easily recognizable bird, barn swallows have long, pointed wings and deeply forked tails. The feathers on the back and wings are a metallic dark blue; the underside is white or cream. The face is scarlet red. Both sexes look similar, although males (79-106 mm) are longer than females (68-84 mm). Males also have longer tail streamers.
* Where to find them: Barn swallows breed all over Japan during the summer, arriving in April from their winter stay in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Micronesia. Swallows construct bowl-shaped nests from mud mixed with saliva and grass, often in caves and under the eaves of barns and houses. (In Japan it is considered good luck to have a swallow nesting in your house.)
* Scientific name: Hirundo rustica
* Description: A common and easily recognizable bird, barn swallows have long, pointed wings and deeply forked tails. The feathers on the back and wings are a metallic dark blue; the underside is white or cream. The face is scarlet red. Both sexes look similar, although males (79-106 mm) are longer than females (68-84 mm). Males also have longer tail streamers.
* Where to find them: Barn swallows breed all over Japan during the summer, arriving in April from their winter stay in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Micronesia. Swallows construct bowl-shaped nests from mud mixed with saliva and grass, often in caves and under the eaves of barns and houses. (In Japan it is considered good luck to have a swallow nesting in your house.)
