Barn Swallows, we have a lot of them around the house because we have a large barn on the lot next door. Can’t see it from the house, because of a large stand of oak trees and brush but it’s about 500 yards from my back door. And directly behind the house is a 3.3 acre meadow and the swallows just love it in the early morning and evening…at least 20 individuals.
I have watched them extensively and I notice that they chirp the same way some bats do, just barely audible but it registers…this afternoon I saw only one, and he was chirping away as he was catching the may flies. He was moving like he was using echo location, so like a bat. Long jerky flying, big archs and snap turns. It was cool to watch - I was just wondering if anyone knows of any research or anything as to whether or not they use echo location? Do any other animals use it besides certain known mammals?
I’m not 100% sure but I don’t think they do. I think they rely on their eyesight, flight agility and maneuverability and bristly whiskers to catch insects.
Thank you! That’s it. I appreciate it
I don’t know about barn swallows, but I am absolutely sure that some swallows can echo locate. I live in the Canadian prairies in Alberta. I have seen swallow, I don’t know what kind flying above a house I own very late on fine evenings in very dim light making short chirps. From their erratic flight patterns it was obvious they were pursuing insects etc.
At the southern end of Palawan, an island belongs to the Philippines, there is an underground river which stretches 22 kilometres, about 13.75 miles. It flows into the sea through a bending narrow cave and small boats with lights take tourists, including myself, 8 kilometres or 5 miles from the entrance. I saw both bats and swallows fly at least that far into the cave. Deep inside. Without lights visibility must be zero.
If research has not been done to determine for sure if swallows can echolocation, it should be.
African or European?
(You know someone would ask sooner or later?)
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DrMike - I’m not sure what from your observations makes you absolutely sure that the chirping, “erratically” flying birds are using echolocation.
I see barn and tree swallows all the time on golf courses and at a lake house in Michigan. Always strikes me as an EXTREMELY difficult way to make a living! 
I would’ve thought they just have extremely good vision for detecting movement of tiny prey.
I was unnerved the first couple of times I was out mowing the back forty at our new place when it seemed like I was being dive-bombed by several barn swallows. Then I figured out that they were capitalizing on tasty insects flying up when disturbed by the mower.
Birds can echolocate. Oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis) and some of the swiftlets (some species of Aerodramus and Collocalia) use echolocation to find their way in the caves where they nest. They don’t use it for catching insects though (probably not accurate enough). The oilbirds are nocturnal, but eat fruit. The swiftlets are diurnal and use their eyesight to hunt during the day.
