Do barn swallows eat bats?

Question

Do barn swallows eat bats?
We have both at the church across the street and we keep finding dead bats.

Answer 1

No, barn swallows are too small to eat bats. Also, swallows tend to be most active during the day, while bats are mostly nocturnal. There is some overlap in their activity cycle at dawn and dusk, but they don't tend to be out at the same time.

The finding of dead bats could be a concern however. Although it is exceedingly rare for bats to carry rabies, it is still a possibility. Bats are unusual for mammals in that when they do get rabies, they usually get what is known as the 'dumb' form rather the 'furious' form of the disease. Instead of becoming wildly aggressive as raccoons, foxes or dogs tend to do when they get the disease, bats tend to go find a nice quiet spot somewhere where they can simply curl up and die. It might not be a bad idea to get the dead bats tested.

It could also be simple mortality from a large roost. If there are lots of bats in a roost, some of them are simply going to pass away. This could be a sign of that.

There could be other problems that are leading to bat mortality as well. I know of one case where large numbers of dead bats were found in a barn. Investigation revealed that it was not disease, but gas exposure that was killing the bats. There was a natural gas leak inside the barn that could have killed people or led to a fire if it hadn't been detected via the dead bats.

If the bats are roosting inside the church, there are other concerns that may need to be addressed. Although I am a staunch advocate for bats (see my other answers today), having a colony roosting inside your home or building is very definitely on the 'not recommended' list. Bat guano (poop) from the roosting colony is quite flammable, and can be an extreme fire hazard. In addition there are types of fungi (such as Toxoplasmosis) that can develop on the guano that can be quite toxic to humans, especially children and the elderly. Bats also can carry blood-sucking parasites such as bat bugs (closely related to bed bugs) which will also attack humans if they happen to come across them.

Swallows also carry many of these same potential dangers, their poop being flammable and an ideal medium for fungal growth, and they also have parasites known as swallow bugs (seriously!). However most swallow colonies nesting inside buildings are not as large as the bat colonies, so they're rarely as sizable a hazard.

So it definitely warrants further investigation, and they may want to look at excluding the bats and swallows from inside the church somehow.

Answer 2

NO

Barn swallows are our regular swallows, who eat insects.

The bats are probably the normal mortality from a big roost.

Take notice of the other answers though, just in case

Answer 3

Absolutely not, they eat insects. Better have the authorities look at the bats, it might be rabies or another decease.

Answer 4

No, they both eat insects, the bats dying might be completely un-related.

Answer 5

No, and I'd advise you not to touch the bats.

Answer 6

no, they are not