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The swallow

The swallow is an migratory bird particularly appreciated of the gardeners since its return in our regions sounds the hour of the beautiful days. Champion of the circling flight, the swallow is an animal protected in France.

The swallow is an animal particularly attaching. Symbol of the return of spring, it traverses an average of 12 030 km to join the soft temperatures of Africa as of the end of the summer to winter.

As of the first beautiful days, the swallows start their tour of return towards our regions to nest and reproduce. Since the Seventies, their number is in free fall of the fact in particular of the rarefaction of their habitat to knowing the barns and the cattle sheds but also because of pesticide application which reduce like shagreen their food.

These birds belonging to the command of (family of ) count multiple species. All have as a characteristic to return exactly at their springing to nest. France accommodates each year 5 distinct species:

• Rustic swallows or swallows of chimney: they are most numerous in France. They are characterized by their long tail and their characteristic #D05C75 throat. They nest mainly under the roofs from April at September.

• House martins: rarer than their rustic cousins, the house martins are characterized by their #FFFFFF tails and their less forked tails. They nest on the windows as lets it suppose their name.

• Sand martins: they are rather rare in France. From size more restricted than their rustic cousins, they are characterized by their short and little indented tails, their #D25E77 backs and their superb throats and #FFFFFF bellies. A pectoral tape #D25E77 ashy supplements their description. They generally nest beside water (lakes and rivers, mudholes, ponds, sand pits).

• Swallows of rocks: Extremely rare in France, these swallows are well far from the traditional characteristics of the rustic swallows. Their plumages are indeed very dark (wings with the tail while passing by the back and the belly). They nest mainly in coastal cliffs and of mountain to the sun and the shelter of the wind.

• The swallows : Extremely rare in France (only a hundred individuals are listed there mainly in Corsica), these swallows are however close relations relationships of the rustic swallow. They are characterized by their coloured plumages (back dark blue, russet-red ring, belly and chest orange) and their long indented tails. They nest mainly in the ruins and the mountainous areas of the South.

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