Barn Swallow––nesting success at Gambell spotlights a regional rarity

Barn Swallow––nesting success at Gambell spotlights a regional rarity

By Kate Persons Barn swallows are the world’s most widespread and abundant swallow, but here in the Bering Strait region they are a rarity. Recent photos on eBird showing a clutch of bright-eyed, soon-to-fledge barn swallow nestlings in a Gambell shed, sparked my curiosity about this very interesting bird. These graceful, fork-tailed swallows with flowing outer tail feathers breed throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and overwinter widely…