Cliff Swallow

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Cliff Swallow
Although they are still most numerous in the West, ranging from Mexico to Alaska, Cliff Swallows greatly increased their range following the development of eastern North America for agriculture and the erection of structures suitable for nesting sites. They were first noted breeding in New York in 1817 and became widespread by the beginning of the 20th century. Declines followed the introduction and spread of the House Sparrow, a species that may dispossess Cliff Swallows by taking their nests and destroying any eggs already laid. The modern practice of painting wooden barns and of using metal or other smooth materials has also apparently inhibited Cliff Swallow nesting, but the use of bridge and dam sites for their nests seems to be increasing.
Cliff Swallow Range Map

Cliff Swallow nests are located in colonies averaging a few hundred nests and ranging up to two or three thousand in the West. Many adults return to the same colony year after year. A colony serves as an "information center" for feeding birds, as unsuccessful foragers may follow successful birds to food sources. Breeding is highly synchronous, and females may lay eggs in adjacent nests, or even carry an egg to another nest. There are frequent disputes as birds attempt to steal nesting material or attempt copulations outside of established pairs. Most extra-pair copulations occur at mud-gathering sites.

Cliff Swallows build gourd-shaped nests out of mud pellets that they carry in their mouth to a nest site protected by an overhang. The male begins the nest as a shelf adhered to a vertical surface. The pair continues the construction by building up the sides and bringing them together to form a roof. The typical nest, which contains approximately 1,000 mud pellets when finished, is lined with grasses and feathers. Sometimes the nest will have an entrance tunnel up to eight inches in length that points down and away from other nests. Both sexes share in incubating and feeding chicks.

Winters for Cliff Swallows are spent in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Diurnal migrants that feed as they travel, Cliff Swallows from the East swing west around the Gulf of Mexico, following western migrants south via Central America. The arrival back on the breeding territory is remarkably punctual, usually varying by only a day or two. The best-known arrival date is March 19, the day Cliff Swallows are said to return to the San Juan Capistrano Mission in southern California.

Description: Cliff Swallows have glossy blue-black backs streaked with white and a cinnamon rump. The wings and square tail are brownish black. Underparts are white with the upper breast sides and flanks pale gray brown. The throat and sides of the head are chestnut. Below the throat is a patch of black at the top of the breast. The forehead is white to pale brown. Both sexes look alike.

Cave Swallows (P. fulva) look similar, differing mainly in having dark chestnut foreheads and a buff color along the sides of the head and on the throat.

Like its close relative the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), the Cliff Swallow has benefited from the proliferation of manmade nesting sites. Once restricted to nesting on the cliff faces of the West, Cliff Swallows now most often nest under bridges, culverts, and the eaves of buildings.

Visit Shaw Creek Bird Supply to see our selection of Swallow Houses.