What is a swallow?

It's a small migratory bird, easily recognized by its pointed wings, forked tail, and blue-black plumage with a red or white throat depending on the species. It is a symbol of spring: its return to temperate regions marks the arrival of warmer weather every year.

How big is it and how much does it weigh?

The swallow is a very lightweight little bird. The barn swallow, the most widespread in the world, measures between 17 and 21 cm long, including 6 to 10 cm for its long forked tail feathers. Its wingspan reaches about 33 cm. It weighs only 16 to 22 grams — roughly the weight of a sheet of paper. This lightness is essential for its long migrations and acrobatic flight.

How many species are there?

There are more than 80 species of swallows in the world, found on almost every continent except Antarctica. The best known are the barn swallow, the house martin, and the common swallow. The common swift looks very similar, but belongs to a different family.

Where does it live?

The swallow lives on nearly every continent. The species that nest and breed in temperate regions — Europe, Asia, North America — migrate every autumn to warmer areas to spend the winter. It frequents open areas such as fields, meadows, villages, and riverbanks. It adapts just as well to rural landscapes as to urban environments, as long as it can find insects to hunt and surfaces to nest on.

When is it active?

The swallow is a strictly diurnal bird. It is active from sunrise to sunset and hunts insects throughout the day. It is especially visible in the late afternoon, when insects fly in large numbers at low altitude. At night, it rests in its nest or perched on power lines or branches. In preparation for migration, swallows often gather in large flocks on telephone wires from late summer onward.

What does it eat?

The swallow is insectivorous. It feeds exclusively on insects, which it catches in flight with its open beak. In a single day, it can catch several hundred insects. It almost never lands to eat: it always hunts on the wing.

How does it fly?

The swallow is an exceptional aerial acrobat. It can reach speeds of 50 to 75 km/h and perform sharp turns, dives, and about-faces to catch its prey. Its sickle-shaped wings and forked tail give it remarkable maneuverability.

How does it build a nest?

The swallow builds its nest with mud, straw, and feathers. It carries the materials in its beak and sticks them together to form a cup or half-sphere shape. It often builds its nest under roofs, in barns, stables, or under bridges. Pairs often return to the same spot year after year.

How does it raise its young?

The female lays 3 to 6 eggs per clutch and can have 2 to 3 broods per summer. Both parents take part in incubating and feeding the young. After about 3 weeks, the chicks are ready to fly. They quickly learn to hunt in flight, just like their parents.

Does it live alone?

The swallow is a sociable bird. It sometimes nests in small colonies and often gathers with other swallow species to hunt or rest. Outside the breeding season, it can form very large flocks to migrate or sleep. However, each pair vigorously defends its own nest and does not tolerate intruders coming too close.

What is its life expectancy?

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Who is Pablo Picasso?

Pablo Picasso is one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th century. He was born in 1881 in Málaga, Spain, and died in 1973 in France, at the age of 91. Painter, sculptor, engraver, ceramicist… he worked across many artistic fields for more than 75 years.

Why is he so famous?

Because, together with his friend Georges Braque, he invented a new artistic language: Cubism. Before him, painters sought to represent reality as it appears to the eye. Picasso, on the other hand, decided to show objects and faces from several angles at once, as if you were seeing them from the front, in profile, and from above all at the same time. The result is disorienting, geometric, revolutionary.

What exactly is Cubism?

It's an artistic movement born around 1907. Instead of depicting a scene from a single perspective, like a photograph, Cubism breaks shapes down into geometric facets and reassembles them in unexpected ways. In a Cubist portrait, you can see both eyes even though the face is in profile. It's unsettling at first glance, but it's a way of showing the complexity of reality, its many facets.

What are his best-known works?

Certainly the most famous is Guernica, a huge painting in black, white, and grey created in 1937. It depicts the bombing of the town of Guernica, in Spain, by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. It's a cry against war and barbarity. The twisted shapes, screaming mouths, and broken bodies carry overwhelming emotional violence. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, painted in 1907, is another major work that shocked the art world and launched Cubism.

Who inspired him?

He was strongly influenced by African art and ancient Iberian art. African masks, with their geometric and stylized shapes, fascinated him and fed into his Cubist style. He also admired Paul Cézanne, the French painter who sought to break forms down into simple volumes. And of course, El Greco, the great Spanish painter of the 16th century, shaped his training.

Is he criticized for anything?

For many things, and not minor ones. Picasso's relationships with women shocked people even in his own time: he used them as models, changed partners often, and some of his companions have described very harsh treatment. His granddaughter Marina wrote a book describing a cold and selfish man. His artistic talent is beyond question, but his personal life remains highly controversial.

Did he influence other artists?

Enormously so. Cubism influenced all of 20th-century architecture, design, fashion, and advertising. Artists like Juan Gris and Fernand Léger carried his work forward. In popular culture, traces of Picasso can be found in the sets of Star Wars or in video game design. He also influenced artists like Andy Warhol, who admired his ability to constantly reinvent himself.

Can you tell me an anecdote about Picasso?

Picasso was known for his sharp wit and cutting comebacks. One day, during the Occupation of Paris, a German officer is said to have shown him a photo of Guernica and asked: “Did you do that?” Picasso is said to have replied: “No, you did.” This anecdote illustrates his courage and his stand against Nazi barbarity, even as artists lived under threat.

What if I want to learn more about Picasso?

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I'm Baptiste, and I'd like to introduce you to QUARE, spelled q-u-a-r-e. The idea for QUARE was born from conversations with my children.

Like many kids, their curiosity is such that they're always asking me lots of questions — questions I don't always know how to answer.

And above all, the first question leads to a second, then a third, a fourth, and so on… so there always comes a moment when I have to admit defeat.

QUARE means "Why" in Latin.

QUARE is an encyclopedic podcast created above all to answer children's questions. The topics we cover are geography, history, art, nature, and sport. So we'll explore the countries of the world, major historical figures, celebrities from the world of art and entertainment, animals, and top-level athletes.

I have to admit that after recording a few episodes, I've already learned a lot myself.

Since QUARÉ needs its listeners to keep improving, all your remarks, contributions, and comments will be very warmly welcomed.

If there's a theme or a personality you'd like us to cover, don't hesitate to let us know so we can work on it.

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