sentences:  It is not a particularly fast flier, with a speed estimated at about , up to and a wing beat rate of approximately 5, up to 7–9 times each second.The barn swallow typically feeds in open areas above shallow water or the ground often following animals, humans or farm machinery to catch disturbed insects, but it will occasionally pick prey items from the water surface, walls and plants.In the breeding areas, large flies make up around 70% of the diet, with aphids also a significant component.