Barn Swallows in Pennsylvania
When barn swallows are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.
- Status in Pennsylvania
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–7b
When to expect barn swallows in Pennsylvania
Barn Swallows are summer residents in Pennsylvania, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on flies, beetles and moths.
Humid continental; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.
Nesting in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, barn swallows typically nest from May–July. Nest site: mud cup on beams and ledges under shelter. Females lay 3–7 eggs, incubate for 12–17 days, and young leave the nest after 15–27 days.
Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.
- Barn Swallows don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, white oak, flowering dogwood for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Pennsylvania plants that attract barn swallows
Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover barn swallows use:
Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.
Acorns and insects.
Fall seed.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Feeding barn swallows through the Pennsylvania year
Barn swallows nest on ledges under eaves and in barns; an open-front ledge shelf gives them a site.
- Best foods: .
- In Pennsylvania's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Frequently asked
Are barn swallows in Pennsylvania year-round?
No. Barn Swallows are summer breeders in Pennsylvania and leave for the winter.
When do barn swallows nest in Pennsylvania?
Nesting in Pennsylvania typically runs May–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–7 eggs, incubated for 12–17 days.
What native plants attract barn swallows in Pennsylvania?
Black cherry, White oak, New England aster, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, Bur oak, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for barn swallows.
Barn Swallows in other regions
Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania
Sources
- Barn Swallow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Barn Swallow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Barn Swallow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Pennsylvania
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.