Cliff swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

(Photo from Birds)

Common name:
cliff swallow (en); andorinha-de-dorso-acanelado (pt); hirondelle à front blanc (fr); golondrina de alcantarilla (es); fahlstirnschwalbe (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Hirundinidae


Range:
This species breeds throughout most of North America, migrating south to winter in South America, from Venezuela to northern Argentina.


Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 28-30 cm. They weigh 19-34 g.


Habitat:
They breed in open canyons and river valleys with rocky cliffs, but forage over various habitats including farmland, pastures, wetlands, grasslands, forests and urban areas. They can be found from sea level up to an altitude of 3.200 m.


Diet:
Cliff swallows hunt various insects on the wing.


Breeding:
These birds are monogamous and form large colonies. The nest is a covered bowl made of mud pellets, with a small entrance tunnel on one side. It is lined with grass and placed on vertical walls, natural or man-made, or sometimes on barns, bridges, and other large buildings. The female lays 3-6 creamy white eggs with brown speckles, which are incubated by both parents for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 21-23 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 90 million individuals. The population has undergone a small increase over the last 4 decades.