A flap over barn swallows raises larger concerns about a bird in decline | Bird decline, insect decline and neonicotinoids

The swallows are among a species of bird known as aerial insectivores, which feed on insects while flying. Their numbers have dwindled in recent decades, which ornithologists attribute to increased use of pesticides. In New England, barn swallows have declined by more than 50 percent since the 1980s, ornithologists say.