Petrochelidon fulva
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The cave swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) is a medium-sized, squarish-tailed swallow belonging to the same genus as the more familiar and widespread cliff swallow of North America. The cave swallow, also native to the Americas, nests and roosts primarily in caves and sinkholes.
Cave swallows are found in Mexico and the Greater Antilles, with fall and winter vagrants reaching the east and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. Breeding colonies occur in south-eastern New Mexico, Texas, Florida, the Greater Antilles, portions of southern Mexico, and along the west coast of South America. Five subspecies are currently recognized according to Birds of North America, three occurring in North America and two in South America.
The cave swallow measures 12 to 14 cm in length and weighs 19 g on average. 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... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Haitises National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 2 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 3 | Jaragua National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | |
| 10 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 12 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 13 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Santo Domingo | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cave Swallow sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 253rd most-seen of the 279 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cave Swallow in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cave 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.
15th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Cave Swallow sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in Los Haitises National Park (Dominican Republic, about 20%), Ciénaga de Zapata (Cuba, about 20%) and Jaragua National Park (Dominican Republic, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cave Swallow is recorded against all the birds logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
