ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Photo by Todd Fink/Daybreak Imagery

While probably our scarcest breeding swallow, cliff swallows are on the increase. They have adapted well to using bridges and dams as nest sites, and new colonies appear each year. This is in marked contrast to their historic use of cliffs and rock faces, as the scientific name implies. Suspected cliff swallows should be scrutinized -- they may be vagrant cave swallows.

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Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 14-16 days

• Clutch Size: 4-5 eggs

• Young Fledge: 21-24 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: insects

Description
This swallow has a rusty or buffy colored rump, a dark throat and a tail that looks square when in flight.

Habitat and Habits
Cliff swallows hunt over the open water of rivers and lakes, while bridges, dams and other water structures provide nesting spots. Calls have a sweet, scratchy quality, quite unlike other Ohio swallows. A rough grating call is often given near the nest.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
The nest is a gourd-shaped structure made of mud lined with feathers and placed on a sheltered cliff face or under eaves. Like other swallows, the cliff swallow nests in colonies.