Cliff Swallow
Cliff SwallowCliff SwallowCliff SwallowCliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

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

In 3 days ~10%

1,058 Verified sightings at Seattle
10,800 In all 73 parks From 2019 to 2026
July 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 Seattle

Violet-green Swallow
LC

Violet-green Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachycineta thalassina

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Barn Swallow
LC

Barn Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo rustica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Tree Swallow
LC

Tree Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachycineta bicolor

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Purple Martin
LC

Purple Martin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Progne subis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
LC

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bank Swallow
LC

Bank Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Riparia riparia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Crow
LC

American Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Song Sparrow
LC

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Black-capped Chickadee
LC

Black-capped Chickadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Poecile atricapillus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Dark-eyed Junco
LC

Dark-eyed Junco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Junco hyemalis

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
American Robin
LC

American Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus migratorius

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Spotted Towhee
LC

Spotted Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pipilo maculatus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Before you go

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

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cliff Swallow sighting in Seattle on a given day, based on 1,058 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 135th most-seen of the 271 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

July

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cliff Swallow in Seattle on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Seattle's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 190 mm in November.

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 Seattle the best place to see a Cliff Swallow?

26th of 47

Of the 47 cities where we can rate Cliff Swallow sightings, Seattle ranks 26th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tijuana (México, about 30%), Los Angeles (United States, about 10%) and Sacramento (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Cliff Swallow live in Seattle?

Same family: Hirundinidae

The closest relatives of the Cliff Swallow that you can see in Seattle (family Hirundinidae, Swallows and Martins) are Violet-green Swallow (about 10%), Barn Swallow (about 10%) and Tree Swallow (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

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 Seattle (1,058 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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