Barn Swallow

5×7” (13×18 cm) — 8×10” (20×25 cm)

8×10” (20×25 cm) — 12×16” (30×41 cm)

12×17” (30×43 cm) — 16×20” (41×51 cm)

16×20” (41×51 cm) — 18×24” (46×61 cm)

20×30” (51×76 cm) — 24×36” (61×91 cm)

Frame not included. Print includes a white border for flexible framing options.

Fits Standard Frames

Works with most stock frames (slight adjustment may be needed)

Border allows trimming to fit your frame perfectly

Edge-to-edge fit with many matted frames

Border Benefits

Extra paper for mounting tabs

Accommodates wider or taller matte windows

Shows clean paper edge instead of print edge for a polished look

Pro Tip: For a perfect fit, pair with a custom matte in your stock frame.

Adapting mid-flight

Barn Swallows catch insects on the wing, executing sharp turns and sudden dives at speeds up to 35 mph. Their forked tail acts as a rudder, allowing instantaneous direction changes while pursuing erratic prey. This represents the ability to adjust course without losing momentum, responding to changing conditions with fluidity rather than rigid planning.

Building together

Barn Swallows mate for life, with pairs working together to construct elaborate mud nests—making hundreds of trips to gather materials. Both parents share feeding duties equally, making up to 400 trips daily to feed their young. This represents collaboration built on shared investment and mutual effort, where commitment is demonstrated through consistent action rather than declaration.

Knowing your path

Barn Swallows migrate up to 6,000 miles twice annually, yet return with extraordinary precision to the same barn, bridge, or building where they nested the previous year. Using the earth's magnetic field, star patterns, and landscape memory, they maintain clear direction even while wandering far. For those balancing exploration with belonging, this represents having a sense of where you're going and where you come from.

Common Name: Barn Swallow
Scientific Name: Hirundo rustica
Length: 5.9-7.5 inches (15-19 cm)
Weight: 0.56-0.78 ounces (16-22 grams)
Wingspan: 11.4-12.6 inches (29-32 cm)
Sexual Dimorphism: Males have longer tail streamers and deeper rusty-orange throat and forehead coloration compared to females
Coloration: Iridescent blue-black upperparts, rusty-orange to buff underparts, distinctive rusty throat and forehead, white spots visible when tail is spread. Juveniles are paler with shorter tail streamers
Distinctive Features: Deeply forked tail with long outer tail feathers (streamers); sleek, streamlined body built for sustained flight; small bill with wide gape for catching insects; short legs adapted for aerial life.

Barn Swallows are consummate aerial insectivores, catching flies, beetles, moths, and other flying insects exclusively on the wing. They forage in open areas, often flying low over fields or water surfaces, making quick banking turns and sudden dives. They drink and bathe while flying, skimming water surfaces to scoop water into their mouths or splash their bellies.

Pairs often reunite at the same nesting site year after year, with both sexes participating in nest construction. They build cup-shaped nests from mud pellets mixed with grass and straw, lined with feathers. Construction takes 1-2 weeks, with birds making hundreds of trips to gather materials. Females typically lay 4-5 eggs, which both parents incubate for about 15 days. Both parents feed nestlings, making up to 400 feeding trips daily.

Barn Swallows are highly vocal and social birds. Their song is a pleasant, liquid twittering—"wit-wit-wit" followed by a musical warble—the vocalization featured on this artwork labeled "Churee." They also produce sharp "chit" or "vit" alarm calls. During breeding season, they're often seen in pairs, but during migration and winter, they gather in large communal roosts sometimes numbering in the thousands.

Featured in British Vanity Fair, IDN Magazine, Dwell, Apartment Therapy, Design Milk, and Complex. The collection appeals to wildlife enthusiasts, design-focused collectors, and those who find personal meaning in the animals they choose to live with.

Designed for modular display and gradual collecting. These prints work individually as accent pieces or grouped to create personal galleries. Build a collection by region, habitat, aesthetic preference, or personal connection.

Production

2–5 business days for production fulfillment

Shipping

Estimated delivery (after production):
US: 3–8 business days
Canada / Europe / Australia: 5–12 business days
Other international locations: Timing varies by region based on local carriers

These are estimates and not guarantees — delivery times may vary during high-demand seasons.

VAT
For many international destinations (including the UK and EU), VAT is collected at checkout and included in your order total. This helps reduce unexpected charges on delivery.

Customs Duties & Import Taxes
Some countries may still apply additional import charges, depending on:

Local regulations

The value of your order

Whether your country applies duties to printed goods or framed products

These fees, if applied, are the responsibility of the recipient and are not included in the product or shipping cost.

Tariff rules vary by country and sometimes change year-to-year. Depending on your region, you may see customs tariffs on certain manufactured goods. When possible, your order ships from a regional facility to help minimize or avoid tariff costs.

The holiday season brings significantly increased demand across all shipping carriers. This can affect both production and transit times.

Here’s what you need to know:

Order earlier than usual to ensure holiday delivery.

Carriers may apply seasonal surcharges and experience longer processing times.

Delivery estimates are not guaranteed during peak holiday periods.

Orders placed in late December may arrive after the holiday, depending on your region.

Instead of strict cutoff dates (which vary globally and change year-to-year), the safest window is:

For December gift-giving, place orders as early in November as possible.