Is It A Sparrow Or A Swallow?

photo by Flickr user iwillnotsuccumb

There seems to be some confusion amongst tattoo aficionados in regards to the distinction between swallows and sparrows. Most people, even some tattoo artists, tend to use the terms interchangeably. It is very common for someone to come into a tattoo shop asking for a sparrow tattoo when what they are really wanting is a swallow. Swallow tattoos are making a huge comeback, and they are one of the most popular tattoo designs being requested today. However, many people still mistakenly refer to them as sparrows.

In nature, the two species of birds are very different, and look nothing like each other. A sparrow is a small bird with a gray underbelly and brown and black feathers with accents of white. It has a short grey beak and rather stubby tail feathers. The swallow, however, has delicately forked tail feathers that are long and graceful-looking, and it boasts beautiful blue, bright yellow and rusty red colored feathers. Typically, what people refer to as sparrows are actually swallows.

sparrow photo by Flickr user foxypar4

Historically, sailors would get tattoos as symbols of their accomplishments, in honor of loved ones, or memorializing someone after death. In those days, setting sail on a long sea voyage was very dangerous, as they were literally sailing off into uncharted territories. The sailors did not have the immense technological advantages that today’s sailors posses, and leaving their families behind offered no promise of return. Swallows were a common tattoo for sea bound young men because of the many things that they represented at that time.

Swallows are well known for returning to their original nesting place every year without fail. They always return home. Having a swallow tattooed on one’s body was symbolic of the sailors promise to himself and to his family that he would return home, too. Swallows were also tattooed upon the bodies of sailors as bragging rights for the distances that one had sailed. It is said that for every 5000 nautical miles sailed, a sailor would receive one swallow on his chest. The more swallows, the more experienced and seasoned the sailor. Swallows, as a whole, symbolize good luck, accomplishment and returning home safely from a long and perilous voyage.

barn swallow photo by Flickr user scubapup

Both swallows and sparrows are monogamous birds. They keep the same mate until they or their mate dies. It is fair to say that both species, as tattoos, could symbolize loyalty and true love, and these are some of the main reasons why many people opt for two swallows rather than one, as a gesture of the promise of fidelity. These swallows often have banners clenched in their beaks that reflect personal sentiments or names.

Tattoos, being such an individual art form, can be shaded, colored, customized and personalized to suit the person who wears them. The coloring, design and texture of the piece are completely up to you. Colors can be altered, feathers can be ruffled or flat. Wings can be pointed or more rounded. An obvious distinction to make when discerning a swallow tattoo from a sparrow tattoo is that a long, clearly forked tail feather denotes the swallow. It is helpful to make the distinction, especially if you plan on getting one.