Home Application Download FAQ
English
English
繁體中文
日本語
Español
Français
Deutsch
Pусский
Português
Italiano
한국어
Nederlands
العربية

Cave Swallow

A species of Cliff Swallows and Allies
Scientific name : Petrochelidon fulva Genus : Cliff Swallows and Allies

Cave Swallow, A species of Cliff Swallows and Allies
Botanical name: Petrochelidon fulva
Genus: Cliff Swallows and Allies
Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) Photo By silversea_starsong , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Description

The cave swallow measures 12 to 14 cm in length and weighs 19 g on average. The largest of the five subspecies, P. f. pallida, has an average wing length between 107.0 and 112.3 mm; the smallest subspecies, P. f. aequatorialis, has an average wing length between 93.0 and 93.5 mm. Differences between the sexes are minimal, both are similar in size and weight and are difficult to distinguish from their plumage. It has grey-blue upperparts and brown-tangerine forefront and throat.
Size
13-15 cm (5-6 in)
Colors
Brown
Black
Gray
White
Blue
Orange
Life Expectancy
9 years
Nest Placement
Building
Clutch Size
1 - 5 eggs
Incubation Period
1 - 2 broods
Number of Broods
15 - 18 days
Nestling Period
20 - 22 days
Feeding Habits
Cave Swallow's diet primarily consists of a wide variety of flying insects, including seed bugs, grasshoppers, lacewings, beetles, aphids, moths, wasps, bees, and flies. Cave Swallow forages in flocks at heights up to 350 feet, particularly during morning and late afternoon in nesting season. They consume water mid-flight from water bodies. Information sharing in colonies may enhance foraging efficiency.
Habitat
Cave Swallow predominantly inhabit regions where caves, sinkholes, cliffs, and occasionally man-made structures such as highway culverts and underpasses provide suitable nesting sites. They show a preference for environments close to open areas for foraging, often near bodies of water. While North American subspecies of cave Swallow tend to occupy caves and similar habitats, South American subspecies are inclined to nest on cliff faces and building sides. Some subspecies remain resident year-round in their breeding range, indicating limited migration behaviors.
Nest Behavior
Cave Swallow engages in colonial nesting, commonly refurbishing old nests, which can lead to structural failure from repeated use. Egg-laying and nest-building activities follow a species-specific seasonal pattern, and both parents participate in the care of the eggs and young.
Nest Characteristics
Cave Swallow nests are typically found on vertical walls or horizontal ledges in colonies. Made of mud pellets and bat guano, these nests have a flattened cup shape, sometimes with upward-extending sides and a small entrance tunnel. They are lined with grass and plant fibers and are often reused and refurbished.
Dite type
Insectivorous

General Info

Feeding Habits

Bird Feeder Type
Platform

Behavior

Cave Swallow exemplify strong aerial agility, often navigating the skies with powerful wing strokes and regular gliding. Their approach to cave habitats is notably graceful; they descend into caves in a floating manner, spiraling back up when exiting. Devoted to an aerial lifestyle, cave Swallow descend only to gather construction materials for their nests. Post-rainfall or along riverbanks, they skillfully collect moist mud or bat guano, key components for their nests. Intriguingly, cave Swallow's wing fluttering while on land may serve multiple purposes: deterring predators, maintaining cleanliness, or managing mating encounters. They exhibit social tendencies, building nests collaboratively in colonies and often foraging in homogeneous flocks or mixed-company of swallows.

Distribution Area

P. f. pallida is found farther west in the south-western United States and into north-eastern Mexico. P. f. citata has the southernmost range of the North American subspecies and is found on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. P. f. aequatorialis is found in Ecuador, and it is speculated that it may extend its range into Peru. P. f. rufocollaris occurs in north-western Peru. Breeding is known to occur in Mexico, south-eastern New Mexico, southern Florida, Greater Antilles and in areas of Texas. The South American populations, as well as most Mexican and Caribbean populations, are considered resident populations which breed and overwinter in the same geographic range. The New Mexico and other northern populations migrate south; however, it is not known where they migrate to or which migration routes they take. Cave swallows have been observed to overwinter in southern Texas since at least the 1980s.

Species Status

Not globally threatened.
Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) Photo By silversea_starsong , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Scientific Classification

Download Picture Bird
Identify any bird by photo or sound in seconds
Cookie Management Tool
In addition to managing cookies through your browser or device, you can change your cookie settings below.
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
Analytical Cookies
Analytical cookies help us to improve our application/website by collecting and reporting information on its usage.
Cookie Name Source Purpose Lifespan
_ga Google Analytics These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here. 1 Year
_pta PictureThis Analytics We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience. 1 Year
Cookie Name
_ga
Source
Google Analytics
Purpose
These cookies are set because of our use of Google Analytics. They are used to collect information about your use of our application/website. The cookies collect specific information, such as your IP address, data related to your device and other information about your use of the application/website. Please note that the data processing is essentially carried out by Google LLC and Google may use your data collected by the cookies for own purposes, e.g. profiling and will combine it with other data such as your Google Account. For more information about how Google processes your data and Google’s approach to privacy as well as implemented safeguards for your data, please see here.
Lifespan
1 Year

Cookie Name
_pta
Source
PictureThis Analytics
Purpose
We use these cookies to collect information about how you use our site, monitor site performance, and improve our site performance, our services, and your experience.
Lifespan
1 Year
Marketing Cookies
Marketing cookies are used by advertising companies to serve ads that are relevant to your interests.
Cookie Name Source Purpose Lifespan
_fbp Facebook Pixel A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here. 1 Year
_adj Adjust This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here. 1 Year
Cookie Name
_fbp
Source
Facebook Pixel
Purpose
A conversion pixel tracking that we use for retargeting campaigns. Learn more here.
Lifespan
1 Year

Cookie Name
_adj
Source
Adjust
Purpose
This cookie provides mobile analytics and attribution services that enable us to measure and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, certain events and actions within the Application. Learn more here.
Lifespan
1 Year
Download