Editing Swallow (section)

==Relationship with humans==
[[File:Purple martin colony.jpg|thumb|An artificial [[purple martin]] nesting colony]]
[[File:Landsvale.jpg|thumb|The [[barn swallow]] is the national bird of [[Estonia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=National symbols of Estonia |url=http://www.einst.ee/publications/symbols/ |publisher=The Estonia Institute |access-date=27 November 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071109221700/http://www.einst.ee/publications/symbols/| archive-date= 9 November 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> They also are one of the most depicted [[birds on stamps|birds on postage stamps]] around the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/12304700.htm |title=Gallery of Barn Swallow stamps from Bird-Stamps.org |access-date=2022-07-21 |archive-date=2020-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609085603/http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/12304700.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>The American Topical Association lists more than 1000 depictions of swallows and martins on postage stamps around the world. See [http://americantopicalassn.org/pdf/checklists/TopicListFeb2020.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331155225/http://americantopicalassn.org/pdf/checklists/TopicListFeb2020.pdf|date=2020-03-31}}</ref><ref>[https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/List_of_Barn_Swallows_on_Postage_Stamps Wikibooks: World Catalogue of Stamps]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>]]

Swallows coexist well with humans because of their beneficial role as insect eaters, and some species have readily adapted to nesting in and around human habitation. The barn swallow and [[Common house martin|house martin]] now rarely use natural sites. The [[purple martin]] is also actively encouraged by people to nest around humans and elaborate nest boxes are erected. Enough artificial nesting sites have been created that the purple martin now seldom nests in natural cavities in the eastern part of its range.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jackson|first1=Jerome|last2=Tate|first2=James Jr.|title=An Analysis of Nest Box Use by Purple Martins, House Sparrows, and Starlings in Eastern North America|journal=The Wilson Bulletin|date=1974|volume=86|issue=4|pages=435–449|jstor=4160543}}</ref>

Because of the long human experience with these conspicuous species, many myths and legends have arisen as a consequence, particularly relating to the barn swallow.<ref name ="HBW"/> Roman historian [[Pliny the Elder]] described a use of painted swallows to deliver a report of the winning horses at a race.<ref name="Brian">{{cite book |last=Brian |first=P.W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eu46AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA57|title=Bird Navigation|pages=57–58|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1955|access-date=2009-03-01}}</ref> There is also the [[Korean culture|Korean]] folktale of [[Heungbu and Nolbu]], which teaches a moral lesson about greed and altruism through the mending of a swallow's broken leg.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=121330|title = More than just a bird : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea}}</ref>

During the 19th century, [[Jean Desbouvrie]] attempted to tame swallows and train them for use as messenger birds, as an alternative to [[war pigeon]]s. The swallows would have a light load of course, as a laden swallow could only travel about half as far as an unladen swallow in the same trip. He succeeded in curbing the migratory instinct in young birds and persuaded the government of France to conduct initial testing, but further experimentation stalled.<ref name="Brian" /><ref name="zoologist">{{cite book |author=Anonymous |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u49XAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA398|title= Zoologist: A Monthly Journal of Natural History, ser.3 v.13|pages=398–399|publisher= J. Van Voorst|year=1889|access-date=2009-03-01}}</ref> Subsequent attempts to train homing behaviour into swallows and other passerines had difficulty establishing a statistically significant success rate, although the birds have been known to trap themselves in a cage repeatedly to get to the bait.<ref name="Brian" />

According to a [[Sailors' superstitions|sailing superstition]], swallows are a good omen to those at sea. This probably arose from the fact that swallows are land-based birds, so their appearance informs a sailor that he or she is close to shore.<ref>Eyers, Jonathan (2011). ''Don't Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions''. A&C Black, London, UK. {{ISBN|978-1-4081-3131-2}}.</ref>
An old [[Collective noun#Terms of venery|term of venery]] for swallows is a "flight" or "sweep".<ref>{{cite web|title=Animal Congregations, or What Do You Call a Group of.....?|url=http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/animals/names.htm|work=USGS.gov|publisher=Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center|access-date=13 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320071411/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/animals/names.htm|archive-date=20 March 2015}}</ref>