Description
 The Cliff Swallow is a small, stocky songbird. It has long, pointed wings that allow the cliff swallow to swoop through the air. Its wings and back are dark while its chest is white. The Cliff Swallow has a red neck and a white patch on the top of its head.
Range
The Cliff Swallow has an enormous range. It breeds in much of North America, including the Northeast. During migration, the Cliff Swallow can be found throughout the Southeast, Mexico and Central America as well. In the winter, the Cliff Swallow inhabits much of South America, including Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador.
Habitat
 Throughout the breeding season, the Cliff Swallow lives in diverse habitats with open areas for foraging and cliffs or buildings on which to build nests. It avoids heavy forests, deserts and high mountains. |
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Diet
 A carnivore, the Cliff Swallow eats flying insects. One study found the stomach contents on a Cliff Swallow to be ants, bees, wasps, beetles, flies, dragonflies, moths and butterflies. It hunts in areas with low growing plants, like meadows, fields and wetlands. The Cliff Swallows hunt from dawn to dusk.
Life Cycle
 The Cliff Swallow builds a bowl-shaped nest with mud. It has a small tunnel on one side and the inside is lined with grass. The nest is built on a vertical wall or cliff, usually under an overhang. Cliff Swallows nest in colonies that range in size. In the west, colonies have grown to 3,700 nests in one spot!
The female lays 1-6 creamy white, spotted eggs in the nest. Upon hatching, chicks are helpless and have no feathers. After leaving the nest, young cliff swallows gather in a large group. Even though they're gathered in a large group, parent Cliff Swallows can find their young by the sound of their voice.
Behavior
 When a cliff swallow is having difficulty finding food, it will follow another to a good feeding spot. Once it finds food away from the colony, it may give a specific call to alert others. |
Least Concern
