Folk signs about swallows. Signs of why swallows fly low or high Why do swallows fly low signs

Among the signs that determined the nature of a peasant’s activity, observations of weather conditions and the behavior of animals and birds occupied not the least place. For example, people often wondered why swallows fly low before it rains.

To understand this issue, you need to know the characteristics of the life of this bird.

What do swallows talk about?

Ornithologists know that swallows are those birds that usually fly low above the ground, and the sign appeared as a result of observations of them. The swallow is one of those birds that almost never lands on the ground, and usually carries out its flights quite low above the ground. It has been established that swallows even drink on the fly, capturing drops of moisture. When they fly over a river or other body of water.

Most often, these blue-black birds can be seen sitting on wires when the sun is shining brightly. And the clearer and drier the weather is outside, the higher the swallows fly above the ground.

Popular superstitions say that swallows fly low when it rains. The signs have a very specific explanation: these birds are insectivores, which means their life directly depends on the habitat of insects. As a rule, they hover low over bodies of water, which means swallows follow their future food in order to get food.

In sunny weather, midges rise quite high, so birds fly high in the sky. Cloudy weather and a decrease in atmospheric pressure causes insects to sink lower and lower to the water and land, which means that the sign that swallows fly low when it rains always turns out to be true.

However, this is not the only sign associated with them. These birds always live next to a person and often unwittingly interfere in his life, which means that a lot will be said about them.

Other signs about swallows

Popular superstitions say that a swallow builds a nest only near a house where good people live, in whose family peace and tranquility reigns.
If a bird makes a nest and then leaves it, this is considered a bad omen: residents of a house where a swallow’s nest is empty should be wary of troubles and losses.
It is believed that a swallow living near a house protects a person’s home from fire. If thieves appear in the house, then retribution will definitely come: the bird will take care of it.
Signs say: if a swallow knocks on the glass with its beak, it foretells a meeting with a good friend from whom there has been no news for a long time.
A remarkable sign was the appearance of birds during: it was believed that if swallows circled over the newlyweds’ heads, then their life would be long and happy.
And if the swallow decided to build a nest where an unmarried girl lives, one could expect matchmakers and a quick marriage in the near future.
People believed that there would be prosperity in the house if the first swallow seen in the spring was thrown after a handful of earth, supposedly to build its nest.
The behavior of these birds determined whether the year would be fruitful: if swallows were the first to fly from the south (to usher in spring), a good harvest could be expected that year.
In the villages, these birds were treated with great respect: even if by chance someone could kill a swallow, people were afraid that the birds would definitely take revenge for its death, and the death of livestock would begin in the village.

As you can see, the sign that swallows and swifts fly low above the ground to indicate rain is not the only one associated with these birds. Popular wisdom noted others, no less important and useful. Concluding the conversation about swallows, let us remember one more sign, which states that a pebble taken from a nest abandoned by swallows will become wonderful.

There are countless tales that were told about the swallow. Would you believe that during the winter, the bird plucks out every last one of its feathers and hides “naked” under the bark of trees, and in the spring it is born in new plumage? But a hundred or two years ago there was no doubt about this. And that in the fall, flocks dive under the water and sleep there until the first thaw, tightly clinging to their paws and swaying on the waves of the undercurrent. And that only young birds fly out of the river, and the old and seasoned ones go to croak like frogs in the mud... But there are even more signs about the swallow. There are so many that they probably cannot be fit into one article.

What does meeting a bird or its chick on the street promise?

For a modern person, meeting a swift black and white bird usually evokes pleasant emotions. And how glad our ancestors were when they spotted her in the spring! Folk wisdom promised many benefits to the lucky person who would have such luck:

Whoever sees the first swallow before others will be happy and successful all year.
If lovers in the spring catch the eye of a winged bird couple, there will be a wedding this year.
Anyone who manages to throw a handful of earth “on the nest” to the bird will attract prosperity and prosperity to his own home.
Moreover, the swallow served as a noble cosmetologist! Girls in Rus' did not hesitate to pick up a handful of sand from under their feet at the sight of a bird and wash themselves with it so that their freckles would disappear and the tan would not stick so thickly. Those who had doubts about such a cosmetic procedure tried to wash their faces with milk. If you're lucky and the milk pan is at hand, the beauty will be guaranteed a white face... A completely useless sign for today's tanned young ladies!
In some regions of Russia, this belief was given a different, deeper meaning: “Having heard God’s bird sing, wash yourself with milk and you will be cleansed of old sins.” In other words, the soul, not the person’s face, should have become white.

In Russian mythology, the bird held the keys to spring

And a bird with a forked tail coordinated agricultural work with its appearance, predicted the harvest and gave weather forecasts:

Swallows have appeared - the first spring thunderstorms will soon thunder.
As soon as the black and white flocks return from warmer climes, it’s time to finish sowing.
If the birds arrived early, there will be plenty of grain in the fall. If you're late, don't expect a bountiful harvest.
Do swallows fly low over the ground or water and squeak at the same time? Wait a while to wash your car, there is a high chance of rain. Are they starting to scurry high in the sky? Feel free to plan an outing into nature; the weather will be sunny. What is noteworthy is that scientists give this sign a rational explanation. Before bad weather, pressure drops and humidity rises, driving small insects from the upper layers of the atmosphere to the ground. And after them the feathered hunters descend.
It has also been noticed that in anticipation of clear weather, swallows begin to chirp cheerfully, and some say even scream! By the way, our ancestors believed that these birds glorified God with their simple songs, and Muslims even attributed to the bird the ability to read the sacred suras of the Koran.
Anyone who is at least a little familiar with the habits of “fork-tailed” birds knows their ardent attachment to wires. This is especially striking in the fall, when the aerial perches turn out to be covered with whole hordes of birds. Involuntarily, Hitchcock comes to mind with his unforgettable thriller... However, there is no threat or mystery in the strange behavior of the birds. The point is in the manner of take-off, due to which the swallow literally falls down for a few seconds, and at this time it does not need obstacles such as branches and leaves in the way. And the wires are an ideal launching pad where you can sit down before a long journey, take a break, chat and take flight at once. So such gatherings are not a sign at all, but rather a vital necessity.

What to do if you find a wounded swallow or a chick that has fallen from the nest? Consult your conscience and act according to its instructions, because signs do not give an unambiguous answer to this matter. In any case, you can't go wrong if you try to help a living being. Even those who do not believe in omens, karma and the boomerang law, according to which all our actions return to us, will feel lighter in their souls. And don’t even think about expecting harm if, despite all your efforts, the bird that fell before your eyes does not survive! Since it was not you who caused her harm, not a single bad omen simply works here.

What if the bird is dead?

In general, what kind of sign is a dead swallow? What did it symbolize during the time of our ancestors?

There is sadness and tears in the house.
In a barn, closet or on a balcony there are less pronounced troubles, since these buildings are not a home in the literal sense of the word.
On the street... More often than not, such a find means absolutely nothing. But the first swallow of spring is such a strong omen that even if found in the form of a lifeless body, it is considered a harbinger of great luck that will not leave you until next spring.

General information about swallows

Since ancient times, swallows have evoked extremely positive emotions and experiences in people. Swallows were called good news, they symbolized beauty and fidelity. The last aspect is due to the fact that swallows remain faithful to their partner and love their offspring immensely. Birds selflessly care for their little chicks, regularly bringing them another portion of food in their beaks, despite weather conditions and other external circumstances.

Traditionally, swallows tend to spend most of their lives in the air , where they soar serenely between the clouds. These birds even drink water on the fly, easily gliding over the water surface of rivers and lakes. Swallows also like to build their nests on the tops of trees.

And if birds want to take a little rest during the day, they give their preference either to high tree branches or to wires. It is important for them to constantly be at a height so that if something happens they can instantly rise into the air. Now it becomes clear why great surprise is caused by the appearance of a swallow flying close to the ground. Our ancestors, having noticed such unusual behavior of a living creature, immediately began to develop various theories on this subject. We will introduce you to them in detail further.

Interaction with people: sat on her head, circles above her and screams

A flock of swallows is always a favorable sign
. It will fly over your head - the person will be happy. If he starts scurrying around the house, luck will not be slow to knock on him. And if swallows decide to fly around the newlyweds’ home or over the happiest couple, the spouses will begin to live in peace and harmony.
A lonely bird is another matter! Unexpectedly, she was identified as the bearer of bad news, and the poor fellow, over whose shoulder the bird would pass, was predicted to die soon. But don’t believe bad omens! Even among the Slavs, who were slightly afraid of the swallow, it was considered a positive bird, collecting sunny freckles in its beak. Would such a thing cause harm to a person?!
The most controversial interpretations relate to a swallow perched on its head. If you are an optimist, expect radical changes for the better, success in all your plans and the fulfillment of your cherished dreams. If you are a pessimist, call your relatives - it is believed that the life of one of them is in danger. And if you don’t particularly believe in omens, but came to this page out of pure curiosity, know that you are just a very kind person, and the birds feel it.

What is the punishment if you kill (crush, knock down, step on a nest)

Offending “God’s bird” is strictly prohibited!

Swallow, killer whale, gusset - no matter what different peoples call it, it has always been under the protection of higher powers:

Killing her intentionally meant forever losing the ability to enjoy life.
Anyone who accidentally harmed a bird was jeopardizing his own well-being. The unfortunate offender, at whose hand the bird died, would certainly begin to experience a loss of livestock, which in former times meant a severe blow to the peasant economy. And even if the Burenki felt well, the owner looked into the bucket of milk with trepidation every time - would there be blood in it?
By analogy, a bird hit by a car poses a threat to a person’s financial situation.
Anyone who contributed to the fall of the swallow's nest was to remain pockmarked for the rest of his life.
A person who knocked down a nest risked getting a fire in the yard or house in response.

Neutralization of bad folk signs

Any negative omen associated with a swallow can be significantly softened if you kindly turn to the bird and ask it to fly away and take with it all the troubles that are caught in its horned tail. Some sprinkle sugar after the swallow, some sprinkle cereal or bread crumbs. But the general meaning is the same: to pretend that the feathered prophetess flew in for a treat. Even our superstitious ancestors understood that an event loses its status as a sign if there is a specific reason for it!
The downed swallow should be taken to the side of the road, mentally ask for forgiveness for your involuntary offense and leave from there. Drive carefully and respect the speed limit.
It’s even easier to forget a bad superstition and stop returning your thoughts to it. The better you cope with this task, the less chance trouble has to reach you.

The swallow brought our ancestors the keys to spring, communicated directly with the sun, and served as a symbol of resurrection, new life and goodness. Don’t try to be scared when you meet her, don’t offend the bird! It’s better to listen to the cheerful chirping and imagine how old grievances and ugly deeds (to be honest, we all have them) are sliding away from your soul. Maybe the old belief will work even if you don’t have a jar of milk at hand?

Signs have a very rich history, but today many phenomena are explained scientifically. Therefore, fewer and fewer people believe in different beliefs. But in vain: some signs based on observations may be true. For example, modern science knows exactly why swallows fly low before rain. Biologists and physicists have found a logical basis for this phenomenon, so the sign can be considered true and accurate.

What does the sign say?

Before describing the reason for this phenomenon, it is worth considering in detail the sign that swallows fly low. Among some residents of Russia there is a very widespread belief

as if these birds can communicate with the souls of dead people. It is believed that the birds receive news from the other world, and then descend to earth to convey them to the relatives of the dead.

Living people, in turn, are glad that they were able to talk once again with their loved ones, whom they miss very much. Having heard what a person did not have time to say during his lifetime, the soul of his relative bursts into tears of happiness, which is why it rains.

Among English-speaking peoples, the belief has a slightly different form. Their sign: swallows fly high - expect dry weather. Essentially, this is a different look at the same phenomenon explained by science. But as a rule, high-flying birds are more likely a sign of already established fine weather

, rather than a meteorological harbinger.

Of course, each person decides for himself whether to believe in science or attribute miraculous powers to signs. The fact remains that the swallow belief is true.

Other signs about swallows

According to folk superstitions, swallows build their nests only in the homes of good people, in whose families harmony and tranquility reign. You will never see this bird on the roof of drunkards, brawlers, or thieves.

It is a very bad symbol if a swallow made a nest and then flew away from it. In this case, people living in a house with an empty swallow’s nest should protect themselves from losses and problems. Our forefathers believed that if a swallow lives next to a house, it means that it protects your house from fire. But if thieves get into the house, quick retribution will be inevitable: the little bird will certainly take care of this and punish the culprits. According to another sign, if a swallow knocks on the glass with its beak, this portends that very soon you will meet an old good friend from whom there has been no news for a very long time.

A very positive omen is when birds appear unexpectedly during a marriage: our ancestors believed that if swallows circled over the heads of the groom and wife, this promised them a long and very happy marriage life.

Has the swallow decided to build her nest in the home of an unmarried girl? This is also a very good symbol, which promises in the very near future the emergence in life of a worthy person for a relationship and an early marriage.

There is also one very fascinating sign about swallows. According to it, if you want money to constantly be in your home, you need to throw a small handful of earth after it in the spring, when you see the first swallow. It is believed that the bird will then build its nest from it. Also, the swallows could tell about how fruitful (or, conversely, lean year) should be expected. If after the winter season the swallows were the first to return from the warm regions (people said that they ushered in spring), it means that the year promised to be very fruitful. The inhabitants of the villages treated the swallows very respectfully. If someone accidentally killed a bird, people were afraid that this would be followed by a higher punishment and the number of livestock in the village would be reduced. Such a reverent attitude towards swallows also did not appear out of nowhere: our ancestors subtly noticed all the actions taking place and tried to listen to the signs above, plus they diligently passed on their own experience to the next generations.

Based on all of the above, it becomes clear that the sign of swallows flying low over the ground is far from the only one associated with these birds. The people's collection contains a sufficient number of other important and necessary ideas about swallows. At the end of the article, I would like to recall one more very fascinating sign, according to which, a pebble that was taken from a nest abandoned by swallows will act as a powerful amulet for its bearer and protect him from all unfavorable external phenomena.

Scientific explanation

This sign also has a logical explanation. It appeared thanks to knowledge of biology and physics:

This is why swallows often fly low before rain. Naturally, a person does not see insects, but he can watch fast-flying flocks of birds for quite a long time.

In Russia, these birds are very common and can be easily recognized by their characteristic forked tail. The three most common types are:

Voronok or urban. The plumage of this bird is black with a blue tint and a metallic sheen. The breast, neck and rump areas are white or cream colored. Their tail is somewhat shortened compared to the other two species. It is representatives of the funnel that settle in cities under the roofs of houses and on the eaves. They prefer sparsely populated cities, avoiding megacities.
Killer whale or village. This beauty is larger than the city representative. Its color also has a metallic tint, but it is closer to dark blue. The abdomen is light with a small dark stripe on the chest. The tail of this bird is long and pointed. Barn swallows usually settle in very large colonies, sometimes numbering up to 1000 pairs.
Beregovushka or coastal. It is these birds that can be seen in nest-caves made along steep banks. They have a brown-gray color, small size and a miniature tail.

Typically, swallows are distinguished by their love for their offspring and are famous for their hard work and dedication. If one of the chicks does not have time to get stronger before the flight, the parents stay with it. A swallow can bring food to its offspring up to 500 times a day. This is not surprising, because tiny birds have an excellent appetite; they can eat almost two tons of insects in their lives.

These birds live up to 30 years. Their strength lies in their extraordinary flight speed, reaching 120 km/h. In addition, they can rise to a height of 4 km. These harbingers of spring are known and loved all over the world, so the sign associated with the weather is familiar to almost everyone.

Interesting things about swallows

In Russia, these birds are very common and can be easily recognized by their characteristic forked tail. The three most common types are:

Voronok or urban. The plumage of this bird is black with a blue tint and a metallic sheen. The breast, neck and rump areas are white or cream colored. Their tail is somewhat shortened compared to the other two species. It is representatives of the funnel that settle in cities under the roofs of houses and on the eaves. They prefer sparsely populated cities, avoiding megacities.
Killer whale or village. This beauty is larger than the city representative. Its color also has a metallic tint, but it is closer to dark blue. The abdomen is light with a small dark stripe on the chest. The tail of this bird is long and pointed. Barn swallows usually settle in very large colonies, sometimes numbering up to 1000 pairs.
Beregovushka or coastal. It is these birds that can be seen in nest-caves made along steep banks. They have a brown-gray color, small size and a miniature tail.

To believe or not to believe

Some people will be 100% confident in the sign and will begin to convince others that folk wisdom has never let them down. Others will laugh at them and say that this is not mysticism at all, but a completely reasonable phenomenon. To support this, they can cite many examples of incorrect weather forecasts based on birds flying high and low. Sometimes insects, and after them swallows, sink lower as a result of some environmental changes:

sudden changes in temperature;
change in atmospheric pressure;
large difference between daytime and evening temperatures;
increased humidity due to fog.

So why, given the obvious unreliability of signs about the weather, do people continue to trust them? It's all about the psychology of the person himself; very often people only see what they believe. Therefore, you should not completely trust such signs; it is better to focus on the weather forecast, and leave the role of additional predictions to superstitions. But you shouldn’t give up belief in magic, because the entire planet, its flora and fauna with weather and various phenomena

- these are real miracles.

Previously, people were much closer to nature, and therefore paid special attention to the signs that they saw in the phenomena around them. Signs associated with the animal world remain important. One of the keys is the interpretation of bird behavior, for example when swallows fly low or rise high.

Are swallows the only ones who fly low before the rain?

But swallows are not the only ones who can predict the weather. Swifts also lower their flight altitude to catch midges.

Before the rain, sparrows stop chirping and tumble in the street dust. Many birds cry anxiously before the rain: crows, scops owls, jackdaws, crows.
On the eve of bad weather, starlings gather in dense flocks and make loud noise; orioles begin to make unpleasant sounds.
Before bad weather or a thunderstorm, the finch anxiously jumps from branch to branch. If you hear a loud woodpecker knock, it means it will rain soon. This is due to the fact that the bugs try to hide under the bark of a tree due to bad weather, where it is easier for birds to find them.
Some birds try to hide from the rain in shelters: partridges, black grouse, pheasants. Wild mornings hide in the thickets of grass. Capercaillie and woodcock are quiet before the rain.
The low flight of cranes also indicates worsening weather. Even domestic birds become restless and anxious before a thunderstorm.

Insects and birds change their behavior before the rain, knowing their habits and habits, you can easily predict the change in weather. Now you know that not only the low flight of swallows means imminent rain, but also that of swifts and cranes.

Signs and real reasons

The survival instinct is inherent even in such intelligent and timid creatures as birds. For swallows, the main task is to ensure the next day of life for themselves and their chicks. Therefore, they devote all their energy to hunting insects, which form the basis of their diet.

Swallows flying low

A popular sign when swallows fly low is that rainy weather is expected soon. An increase in atmospheric pressure forces them to sink lower to reduce air resistance and make flight easier;

In reality, such behavior does not always guarantee a thunderstorm or rain. Feathered hunters always follow their prey, which in some cases actually descends closer to the ground or water surface.

the appearance of water condensation in the air before rain, which settles on the wings of many large insects, causing them to move down;
butterflies, beetles, and grasshoppers do not rise too high, but prefer to glide closer to the grass, where they can easily hide.

Swallows flying high

The peculiarity of swallows is that they try to make their flights as productive as possible. Most often they choose flies or mosquitoes as prey.

These insects always fly in large swarms, and therefore it is easy for swallows to catch several units of useful food at the same time in one flight. The energy expenditure when catching one insect is much greater, but the benefits from such work are less.

According to signs, if swallows fly high in the sky, there will be good warm weather for a long time. And this interpretation is logical and correct. Swarms of mosquitoes and flies rise high on sunny days with the help of rising warm air currents. And since these insects are a tasty morsel, the birds follow them.

What do swallows eat?

Only flying insects are the food of swallows; if it rains for a long time and swallows cannot fly, then they will not eat caterpillars, larvae and seeds, which is very dangerous for their life in bad weather.

If the weather turns bad and it will rain soon, the insects tend to be closer to the ground, and the swallow comes down after them; This is how the sign arose that low flying swallows mean rain.

Bird swallows catch large insects (flies, dragonflies, butterflies) “one by one”, and swallow small midges in large quantities, opening their beak towards the air flow.

The benefits of swallows for humans are enormous: they catch those insects that other birds almost never hunt, namely mosquitoes and flies.

Video about feeding swallow chicks that have fallen out of the nest.

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About the article

Other signs about swallows

It is believed that their early arrival of swallows will provide villagers and farmers with a high harvest, while a late arrival will guarantee poor results in agriculture and growing vegetables. They always try to throw a handful of earth after the first swallow they see, in this way appeasing it. A folk sign states that from this soil the feathered worker will make a nest and give harmony in the house.

There are other signs:

a bird flying into an open window is a harbinger of the death of one of the inhabitants of the house, and a bird entering the room through the door is the guide of a long-awaited guest;
the appearance of a nest on the roof of a house or outbuildings indicates the good character of the people living in this area;
if a bird has built a nest in a house where an unmarried girl lives, there will be a wedding soon;
in the case when the feathered keeper of the hearth suddenly leaves the nest, they speak of the emergence of adversity, problems and discord in the family, for couples - of a possible divorce;
the knock of a swallow on the window warns of an imminent meeting with an important person;
birds circling over the newlyweds promise them a long and loving family life, fidelity and prosperity;
A pebble taken from a bird’s nest, which is carefully hidden in the home, is suitable as a talisman for home and family.

“The swallow keeps flying over the house.

As if he was looking for something, remembering.

Everything hovers above the roof alone.

Dear guest from afar."

Every person has seen a swallow (or “Galitsa” in the old fashioned way). A swift, nimble beauty flying near the house or fluttering over the river. Galitsa is our pride, we admire this bird, but we don’t even know whether it is predatory or not. Where he lives, how he eats, where he disappears in winter.

For us, the swallow is the main indicator of rain. If it flies low above the ground, there will be a downpour, as the nimble beauty “promises”. Is this so? Who is this swallow?

Other signs

In addition to the height and nature of the flight, other signs

If a swallow flies into an open window or through a vent, this indicates
a serious illness of one of the family members; if a swallow enters a home through a door, then this portends good luck and enrichment.
If a swallow has made a nest on the roof or in the attic of a house, this indicates that the owners of the home are kind and sympathetic people - the bird will not settle next to bad, evil people. If an unmarried young girl lives in the house, then the sign indicates that she will soon be happy.
If a swallow leaves the house in which it has built a nest, this portends misfortune, separation and discord in the family
- this sign especially concerns the relationship between spouses.
If a swallow knocks on the window of a house, this portends quick news from a person whose fate was unknown for a long time. This also speaks of some good news that the owner of the house will receive.
Swallows that settle near a person’s home protect it, protect it from fires and floods
, and attract good luck and love. They are a symbol of marital

“The swallow keeps flying over the house.

As if he was looking for something, remembering.

Everything hovers above the roof alone.

Dear guest from afar."

For us, the swallow is the main indicator of rain. If it flies low above the ground, there will be a downpour, as the nimble beauty “promises”. Is this so? Who is this swallow?

Hello birdie

Swallows form a single family, the swallow family. Beauties, and there are about 120 species of them, inhabit all the world's countries, except the Arctic and Antarctic. These birds are children of the air; they fly beautifully. Galits live in the sky - they drink water on the fly, hunt, even breed and sleep (on the ground the birds feel clumsy and are practically not observed).

Swallows have a slender, streamlined body, narrow long wings and an original tail with a deep neckline. These birds are small (weight reaches 10-60 grams). They form pairs and maintain family relationships throughout the bird's life.

Galitsa are migratory birds. Twice a year they travel to their wintering grounds (Africa and tropical Asia) and back home. Migration of swallows is a complex and dangerous process. Often during migration, birds die in flocks due to winds and hurricanes.

In 1974, thousands of dead swallows were found in the foothills of the Swiss Alps - the birds did not reach their winter quarters due to sudden cold weather. When it gets cold, the feathered beauties huddle together and become lethargic and numb.

Galitsa are predators. They feed on insects, beetles and butterflies. But they prefer insects that do not have a sting (leafhoppers, flies, horseflies, midges, mosquitoes and grasshoppers).

Types of swallows

We have three common types of these amazing birds:

Urban (or funnel).

The plumage of the funnel is blue-black with a metallic sheen. The breast, neck and rump are painted white. The tail looks like a blunt fork with shortened ends.

Funnels settle under the roofs of houses, under balconies and on eaves. These swallows prefer small cities; they cannot be seen in megalopolises. The funnel nests are closed on all sides, the only round entrance hole is located on the side. Bird eggs are pure white in color.

Village (or killer whale).

Compared to the urban killer whale, it is larger in size. The color of the bird is dark blue with a metallic tint. The abdomen is light, and on the chest there is a dark stripe. The tail is long, deep-cut and white-spotted.

Killer whales settle in large colonies (up to 1000 pairs). They fly in huge flocks over the water surface, catching insects and scooping up water with their beaks. Birds nest under the roofs of rural wooden buildings. A killer whale builds a nest from pieces of wet earth. The nesting area has the shape of a hemispherical saucer.

Coastal (or coastal).

And along the steep sandy banks and slopes of rivers the bank swallow settles. She has a very small ponytail with a small slit. The color is brown-gray, the belly and chest are white. The shorebird digs burrow nests for itself, similar to small caves.

Curious facts

Swallows are famous for their hard work and love for their chicks. If the chick from the last brood does not have time to get stronger before flying to the winter quarters, the parents stay with it until the baby gets stronger. Parents tirelessly feed their chicks, bringing food up to 500 times a day.

Small birds have an enviable appetite. During their bird life they eat 2 tons of insects!

Swallows live up to 30 years. Their life is flight (the harbingers of spring reach speeds of up to 120 km/h). And they can fly at an altitude of 4000 meters. Galicians are known all over the world. Swift birds are loved and respected everywhere.

Estonia.
Estonia especially reveres these birds. The swallow is the national symbol of the Baltic country and appears on the 100 kroon coin.
Egypt.
Galitsa are the sacred birds of ancient Egypt. They belonged to the goddess Isis (the ideal of femininity and motherhood).
China.
The arrival of swallows in the sky coincides with ritual fertility holidays. The Chinese believe that the house where the bird has settled will soon be blessed with a wedding.
Russia.
In the terrible spring of 1942, residents of besieged Leningrad carried with them images of swallows. The birds easily flew into the besieged city and foreshadowed good news and hope.

In our country, Galitsa is symbolic of a happy family life. This bird personifies tenderness and affection. It is believed that the bird builds nests only in the homes of good people. But those who destroyed the swallow’s nest brought disaster and fire to the house.

After all, according to popular opinion, the beautiful bird protects housing from lightning, thunder and fire. And it warns people about the rain, flying low over their heads and whistling invitingly.

Rain and insects

Insects can perfectly predict the weather. They perfectly sense changes in atmospheric pressure and humidity.

For flying insects, moisture in the air causes inconvenience, lingers on the wings and reduces the quality of flight. It is in wet weather that flies and midges cannot fly high and decline.

Before the rain, wasps look for somewhere to hide and try to hide indoors or fly under the roof. Bees wait out bad weather in their hives. Urticaria butterflies are sensitive to climate change and begin to look for shelter.

In good weather, dragonflies fly alone, often hovering in one place. If they begin to gather in flocks and move chaotically, you should expect bad weather. Large flocks of dragonflies, which create a lot of noise with their wings and fly low, portend an imminent downpour.

Shortly before the rain, the ants hide in their burrows and close the entrances to the anthill. In good weather, dung beetles fly actively and noisily over the ground, but in cold, damp and windy weather you will not see them.

Why does a swallow fly before the rain?

In the progressive age, people find out what the weather is like outside from the Internet or mobile weather applications. And before, birds and animals warned people about the vagaries of the weather. Our ancestors were very observant! The sign about the low flight of swallows before rainstorms has survived to this day and turned out to be accurate. Why do swallows fly low before the rain?

Logic speaks, physics confirms

Initially, pundits believed that swift birds were responding to changes in the atmosphere. But why do the winged ones fly above the ground before a downpour, and not hide in shelters before bad weather? Are they really warning people? Human logic is selfish. A person, examining superficial (visible to the eye) phenomena, immediately draws conclusions. Without making it difficult for yourself to get to the bottom of all the elements.

Seeing the effect, people generalize reasons that we are not able to verify or prove.

Scientifically speaking, this is an example of inductive reasoning, subject to the laws of logic, a type of incomplete induction (that is, induction or a method of reasoning based on the simplest observation):

"All plants have roots." Without considering or proving the truth (do all shrubs or trees have roots, yes or no), we generalize the proposed statement.
"All gases expand when heated." Even at school we are given examples of incomplete induction. Citing experiments on 1-2 gases as evidence, teachers draw general conclusions, speaking about “all gases.”

The ability to formulate judgments for which a person is not able to obtain evidence comes from ancient times. These are the same folk signs, bright representatives of incomplete induction (inferences made on the basis of observations without a complete evidence base).

Folk signs about swallows

There are countless tales that people told the swift black and white bird. Can you believe that before the arrival of severe cold weather, a nimble bird plucks out its feathers and hides “nakedly” under the bark of trees or dives under the water to sleep there? And in the spring sunshine, appear before people in bright, renewed plumage.

This is what the ancestors thought when they lost sight of the swallow in the fall (at that time they did not know that Galits fly away for the winter). There are many signs and curious conclusions about the swift birds from observers of the habits of swallows (as the Slavs affectionately called Galicians):

If a bird built a nest under the roof of a house and then suddenly left the house, expect trouble (fire or collapse). The owners also had to leave the house temporarily.
Hearing the chirping of swallows, the ancestors immediately washed themselves with milk. After all, the swallow’s chirping warned that a person had many envious people and it was time to defend himself. Washing with milk saved enemies from envy.
But if a swallow in flight touches or flies low over a person’s head or shoulder, it speaks of his imminent death, carrying black news on his wings.
A knock on this bird's window promised good news and restoration of contact with a lost relative.
Having seen the first spring swallows, it was supposed to throw them a handful of earth to build a nesting site. Then wealth and prosperity will come to the house.
Galitsa winds next to the home of a young unmarried girl? There will be a magnificent wedding soon! And if a swallow flies over the newlyweds, their marriage is strong and happy.
Are swallows already flying around in the sky in early spring? Be a year rich in harvests.
Well, the famous sign about birds flying low before the rain.

Swallows fly low, what is this for?

Observing the state of weather conditions, as well as the behavior of birds and animals, was a key point in the life of our ancestors.

It was from this that they could already base themselves on when to carry out certain agricultural work, and this greatly helped to obtain a good harvest.

In addition, the signs made it possible to protect oneself from various unfavorable events and to always be armed with knowledge.

Let's try to figure out what the sign means when swallows fly low.

Other signs about swallows

According to folk superstitions, swallows build their nests only in the homes of good people, in whose families harmony and tranquility reign. You will never see this bird on the roof of drunkards, brawlers, or thieves.
It is a very bad sign if a swallow made a nest and then flew away from it.
In this case, people living in a house with an empty swallow’s nest should protect themselves from losses and troubles.
Our ancestors believed that if a swallow lives next to a house, it means it protects your house from fire.
But if robbers get into your home, quick retribution will be inevitable: the little bird will definitely take care of this and punish the culprits.
According to another sign, if a swallow knocks on the glass with its beak, this predicts that very soon you will meet a good old friend from whom there has been no news for a very long time.
A very positive omen is when birds suddenly appear during a wedding: our ancestors believed that if swallows circled over the heads of the bride and groom, this promised them a long and very happy married life.
Has the swallow decided to build her nest in the home of an unmarried girl? This is also a very good sign, which promises in the very near future the appearance of a worthy person in life for a relationship and an early marriage.
There is another very interesting sign about swallows.
According to it, if you want there to always be money in your home, you need to throw a small handful of earth after it in the spring, when you see the first swallow. It is believed that the bird will subsequently build its nest from it.
Swallows could also tell you how fruitful (or, conversely, how bad a year you need to wait for) is.
If after the winter season the swallows were the first to return from the warm regions (people said that they ushered in spring), then the year promised to be very fertile.
The villagers treated the swallows with great respect.
If someone accidentally killed a bird, people were afraid that this would be followed by punishment from above and that the number of livestock in the village would decrease.
Such a reverent attitude towards swallows also did not come out of nowhere: our ancestors subtly noticed all the events that took place and tried to listen to signs from above, plus they diligently passed on their experience to subsequent generations.

Based on all of the above, it becomes clear that the sign of swallows flying low over the ground is far from the only one associated with these birds. The people's collection contains a sufficient number of other important and useful signs about swallows. At the end of the article, I would like to recall one more very interesting sign, according to which, a pebble that was taken from a nest abandoned by swallows will act as a strong amulet for its owner and protect him from any unfavorable external phenomena.