Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow - Housing Engineer

Cliff Swallow

The Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) is a member of the Hirundinidae family (martins and swallows).  This is a family of insectivores which are accomplished aerial-foraging songbirds.  They have compressed beaks with a wide gape (opening).  Their syrinx is differentiated from other songbirds but they are not great singers, at least to our ears.  There are 90 species worldwide and they inhabit all continents except Antarctic and our high Arctic.  Eight species inhabit North America and six species are found in New Brunswick.  Like all insectivorous species, our swallows and martins are suffering population declines at present but according to the literature the Cliff Swallow is doing relatively well compared to the others.

The Cliff Swallow is 14 cm (5.5 inches) long and is distinguished by it square tail, orangish rump, dark blue upper parts, buff underparts, white or buff forehead and orange-brown throat and sides of face.  The genders are similar.  It can be distinguished from the Barn Swallow by the square tail, the light forehead and the buff rump.

Cliff Swallow

The Cliff Swallow builds a spectacular gourd-shaped nest/house under eaves of man-made structures and also on cliffs faces.  The structure is made of mud and saliva and completely encloses the nest except for an entrance hole.  These nests are usually built in groups with other Cliff Swallows.  The nest is lined with grass and feathers. Three to six creamy whites eggs marked with brown are laid and incubated for 14 to 16 days by both adults.  This species has an interesting behaviour.  The female is known to carry one of her eggs in her beak and deposits it in another female's nest.  Cliff Swallows eat insects which they catch on the wing.  They will occasionally eat berries under scarce food conditions.  They are quite vocal emitting a constant chittering sound at the nest.  When the young leave the nest they gather in groups called creches.  The adults can locate their own young in these large gatherings by voice.  

Cliff Swallow Nests

Cliff Swallows are similar in appearance to the Cave Swallow from Mexico and the Caribbean Islands and one should know the difference.  The Cave Swallow has appeared here after severe storms on several occasions.  The Cave Swallow has a pale throat and dark forehead giving it an appearance of having a cap.  Its face is much lighter than the Cliff Swallow.  

Cliff Swallows spend their winters in the tropics where they prefer open country near buildings or cliffs, lakeshores and marshes.  The Cliff Swallow species has been known officially since 1817 when it was described by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist.  A group of swallows is known as a 'gulp', a 'herd', a 'kettle', a 'richness' and a 'sord'.  I hope we will see a richness of Cliff Swallows this August as they gather to begin their migration south.