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Status/distribution
The
Swallow is well distributed throughout Britain and Ireland.
It is largely absent from the upland areas of NW Scotland,
the Outer Hebrides and Shetland. Its main habitat is lowland
farmland, in Britain it rarely breeds in the uplands. They
are a typical sight around villages and farms. The numbers
of Swallows tend to fluctuate from year to year probably due
to unfavourable conditions on their wintering grounds. Swallows
are currently considered by conservationists to be of medium
conservation concern.
Detailed
information on Swallow population trends and breeding success
is given on the Wider
Countryside Report web pages.
Take part
in our Swallow
Survey in 2003.
Timing
of migration
Swallows
have a widespread distribution during migration. The first
Swallows are usually seen on the south coast, sometimes as
early as mid-March, and by mid-April Swallows have reached
Shetland. By the middle of May the majority of Swallows have
arrived. Exceptionally Swallows are recorded as early as
February and as late as December! Bird Observatory data suggests
that migration is on a broad front.
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