Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vertebrate > bird > Bird |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Breeding) [VU(br)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Hirundo rustica |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Linnaeus, 1758 |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Stanbury et al., 2021 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Long term significant decline Eng BBS (25 yr -34%, 10 yr -52%) |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Research into livestock affect populations. East/West split in population productivity. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Provision of wetland habitats will provide insect food. Low intensity land management systems including livestock grazing. Restoration/Creation of hay meadows. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 5. Remedial action identified |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Pressures acting outside England |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Structured - sufficient |
| Species Comments: | Factors outside the UK may be an issue |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Conduct studies to determine if agricultural intensification and the reduction in insect populations are responsible for population declines, considering other factors operating outside the breeding season.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites:
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Test mitigation of potential of artificial nests in suitable habitat.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Other (specify in comments)
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 100 sites
High priority sites:
Comments: Artificial nest sites may reduce energy expenditure for adult birds. Danish study. Citizen Science. Link to House Martin?
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.