Barn Swallows Nesting at the Schwarz Barn

If you’ve ever watched a barn swallow dart and dive through the summer sky, you know just how agile and graceful these birds can be. Now, thanks to our newest live streaming camera at the historic Schwarz Barn on the Westmoreland Land Trust property, you can watch a pair of barn swallows up close as they raise their young—right from the comfort of your home.

Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are among the most recognizable birds of the countryside, known for their long, deeply forked tails and fluid, acrobatic flight. Every spring and summer, they migrate thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in South America to nest throughout North America. True to their name, barn swallows prefer to build their mud nests inside human-made structures like barns, sheds, and porches—where they’re protected from the elements and predators.

At the Westmoreland Land Trust’s Schwarz Barn, these swallows have found the perfect nesting site tucked among the wooden beams of this beautifully preserved historic structure. Built in the early 20th century, the Schwarz Barn is a great example of traditional Western Pennsylvania farm architecture. Today, it not only serves as a reminder of our region’s agricultural heritage, but also as a haven for wildlife.

Our team at PixCams has installed a discreet live streaming camera above the nest to allow viewers a safe, uninterrupted look into the daily lives of this barn swallow family. With this camera in place, you’ll get a front-row seat to all the action—from nest building and egg laying to chick feeding frenzies and, eventually, fledging.

This project is part of our continued partnership with the Westmoreland Land Trust to bring people closer to nature through technology and education. Be sure to check back often, as the story of these swallows unfolds in real time.

👉 Click here to watch the Barn Swallow Nest Cam live!

The Journey and Nesting Life of the Barn Swallow

The barn swallow is one of the most widespread and familiar songbirds in the world—and for good reason. These agile aerial acrobats travel incredible distances each year, migrating from their wintering grounds in Central and South America all the way to North America to breed. Here in Pennsylvania, barn swallows typically arrive in mid to late April, signaling the true arrival of spring.

Once they reach their breeding grounds, barn swallows waste no time finding a suitable nesting location. True to their name, they prefer open man-made structures like barns, sheds, and bridges—places that provide shelter and horizontal surfaces for building their nests. Their cup-shaped nests are crafted from mud pellets, collected from nearby puddles or streambanks and carefully molded with grass and feathers. You’ll often see both members of the pair taking part in nest construction, working together to prepare a safe place for their future young.

Barn swallows usually lay 4 to 6 eggs per clutch, and the eggs take about two weeks to hatch. Once the chicks are born, they grow rapidly and fledge in another 18 to 23 days. Some pairs may raise a second brood during the same season, especially if conditions are favorable. That means the swallows at the Schwarz Barn could remain in residence through July or even into early August.

By late summer, the barn swallow’s season in Pennsylvania begins to wind down. As the days grow shorter, these migratory birds prepare for the long journey south once again—heading back across the Gulf of Mexico, through Central America, and deep into South America, where they’ll spend the winter months before returning next spring. Until then, this nest cam offers a rare chance to follow the full arc of their nesting cycle and appreciate the beauty and resilience of this remarkable species.

A Team Effort: Barn Swallow Parenting in Action

One of the more fascinating aspects of barn swallow behavior is how both the male and female share in the responsibilities of raising their young—starting with incubation. Unlike many songbird species where the female does all the egg-sitting, barn swallows are one of the few where the male also takes a turn warming the eggs. This shared parental duty helps ensure the eggs are kept at a consistent temperature and allows the female time to rest and feed between shifts.

This cooperative parenting doesn’t stop at incubation. Once the eggs hatch, both parents are equally active in feeding the hungry chicks. You’ll often see them taking turns swooping in and out of the barn, catching flying insects mid-air, and delivering them to the growing nestlings. This tag-team approach boosts the survival rate of their offspring and is one of the many reasons barn swallows are such successful and adaptable birds. Through the nest cam, you can witness this incredible teamwork in real time—a rare and rewarding look into the shared lives of these devoted parents.

Mud Architects: The Nesting Habits of Barn Swallows

Barn swallows are expert builders, known for constructing distinctive cup-shaped nests out of mud. To create their nests, they gather tiny pellets of wet mud—often from nearby puddles, streambanks, or barn floors—and carry them one by one to their chosen nesting site. Using their beaks, they carefully mold the mud into a sturdy structure, layering it with grasses and lining the inside with feathers to create a soft, insulated environment for their eggs and chicks.

They typically build their nests on flat, sheltered surfaces such as ledges, rafters, beams, and the upper walls of open buildings—especially barns, sheds, stables, and other human-made structures. Barns are ideal because they offer protection from predators and the elements, and have high, dark interior spaces with good airflow. Once a barn swallow pair finds a good nesting spot, they may return to it year after year. While some pairs will rebuild the same nest, others will repair an old one or construct a brand-new nest nearby. Over time, a favored barn can host many generations of swallows, each adding their own architectural touch to the structure.

The Social Side of Barn Swallows

While barn swallows are often seen zipping through the air solo or in pairs, they are actually quite social birds—especially during the breeding season. It’s not uncommon for multiple pairs to nest in the same barn or structure, creating a loose colony where each pair maintains its own nest but lives in close quarters with others. At places like the Schwarz Barn, you might see several nests tucked into beams and rafters, all buzzing with activity throughout the summer.

These communal arrangements provide a number of benefits. Living near other swallows can offer increased protection from predators, as many eyes are on the lookout. Swallows will often sound the alarm together if a threat is near and may even mob intruders like hawks or snakes. There’s also the added advantage of information sharing—swallows may observe where others are feeding and follow them to productive foraging areas.

Research suggests that barn swallows often show a strong sense of site fidelity, meaning they return to the same breeding area year after year. In some cases, even the same individuals may return to the exact same barn or nest site. This long-term connection to a place, along with their sociable nature, creates a kind of seasonal neighborhood. While not as structured as the colonies of some seabirds or colonial nesters like purple martins, barn swallow “colonies” do exhibit a loose social order, where individuals recognize neighbors and interact regularly. Watching them live offers a rare window into this subtle, cooperative society that forms high above the barn floor.

Masters of the Sky: Aerial Acrobatics

Barn swallows are among the most skilled fliers in the bird world, renowned for their graceful, acrobatic flight. With long, pointed wings and deeply forked tails, they are built for speed and agility. You’ll often see them zipping low over fields, ponds, and open spaces, executing sharp turns, dives, and loops as they chase down insects mid-air. These agile maneuvers aren’t just for show—they’re part of the swallow’s daily survival strategy.

As true aerial insectivores, barn swallows catch almost all their food on the wing. Their diet consists almost entirely of flying insects, including flies, mosquitoes, beetles, moths, and wasps. They feed from dawn to dusk, often covering miles in a single day in search of food. Parents make frequent trips back to the nest with mouthfuls of bugs to feed their growing chicks, sometimes delivering hundreds of insects per day. Watching this constant flurry of activity on a nest cam gives you a real appreciation for just how much effort goes into raising a brood.

Beyond their elegance and energy, barn swallows play a valuable ecological role in natural pest control. By consuming thousands of flying insects—many of which are considered agricultural or backyard pests—they help keep insect populations in check. A single barn swallow can eat hundreds of mosquitoes and flies in one day. Multiply that by a small colony, and it’s easy to see the positive impact they can have over the course of a summer.

Their feeding behavior is also a joy to watch. On warm evenings, swallows often gather in loose flocks over open fields and water, swooping and gliding effortlessly through the air in pursuit of their prey. These twilight feeding sessions are not only effective but visually stunning, showcasing the barn swallow’s athleticism and the intricate dance between predator and prey that plays out daily in the summer sky.

Watch the Swallows Soar

As the barn swallows continue their incredible journey of nesting and raising young inside the historic Schwarz Barn, we invite you to witness their story unfold in real time. Our LIVE Barn Swallow Nest Cam offers a unique window into the daily lives of these agile and fascinating birds. Whether you’re tuning in to watch a quiet moment on the nest or the thrilling sight of fledglings taking their first flight, there’s always something magical to see. Don’t miss a moment—join us at PixCams and experience the wonder of nature up close.

Watch The Barn Swallow Nest Cam LIVE

https://pixcams.com/wlt-barn-swallow-nest-cam/