Cliff Swallow
Cliff SwallowCliff SwallowCliff SwallowCliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Houston

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

919 Verified sightings at Houston
10,800 In all 73 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Cliff Swallow

The cliff swallow or American cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. The generic name Petrochelidon is derived from the Ancient Greek petros meaning "stone" and khelidon (χελιδών) "swallow", and the specific name pyrrhonota comes from purrhos meaning "flame-coloured" and -notos "-backed".

Cliff swallows are extremely social songbirds that can be found in large nesting colonies reaching over 2,000 nests. They are frequently seen flying overhead in large flocks during migration, gracefully foraging over fields for flying insects or perching tightly together on a wire preening under the sun.

Cliff swallows build gourd-shaped nests made from mud with small entrance holes. They build their nests tightly together, on top of one another, under bridges or alongside mountain cliffs. Living in large populations, these aerial insectivores use extensive vocalizations to communicate warnings or food availability to the other individuals.

The cliff swallow's average body length is 13 cm (5.1 in), and they have short legs and small bills with relatively long pointed wings. Adult cliff swallows have... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:46

United States · 2025

© Valerie Heemstra · XC1011725 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call0:49

Mexico · 2022

© Manuel Grosselet · XC737195 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:37

United States · 2022

© Sue Riffe · XC736221 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~60%
2 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
4 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
5 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
6 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
7 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
8 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
10 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
12 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
13 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
14 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
15 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
16 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
17 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
18 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
19 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
20 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
21 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
22 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
24 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
27 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
30 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
31 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
32 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
<5%
34 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
35 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
36 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
38 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
40 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
43 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
45 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
46 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
47 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
48 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
49 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
50 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
51 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
52 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
53 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
54 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
55 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
56 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
57 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
59 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
60 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
61 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
62 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
63 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
64 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
65 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
66 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
67 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
68 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
69 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
70 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
71 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
72 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
73 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tijuana 🇲🇽 México
~30%
2 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Ciudad Juárez 🇲🇽 México
~10%
10 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Closest Relatives at Houston

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Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Purple Martin
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Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
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Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Tree Swallow
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Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
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Northern Rough-winged Swallow

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Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bank Swallow
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Riparia riparia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Blue Jay
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Blue Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

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Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Northern Cardinal
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☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Northern Mockingbird
LC

Northern Mockingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mimus polyglottos

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Carolina Chickadee
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Carolina Chickadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Poecile carolinensis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Carolina Wren
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Carolina Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
American Crow
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Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cliff Swallow in Houston?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cliff Swallow sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 919 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 302 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Cliff Swallow in Houston?

April to July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cliff Swallow in Houston on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Cliff Swallow?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cliff Swallow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Houston the best place to see a Cliff Swallow?

16th of 47

Of the 47 cities where we can rate Cliff Swallow sightings, Houston ranks 16th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tijuana (México, about 30%), Los Angeles (United States, about 10%) and Sacramento (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Cliff Swallow sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cliff Swallow is recorded against all the birds logged in Houston (919 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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