Photo: Don DeBold / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
American Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 21.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Hirundinidae Swallows, Martins
- Genus Petrochelidon
- Species pyrrhonota
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The American Cliff Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The American Cliff Swallow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) belongs to the Hirundinidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.6 g, with a wing length of about 10.9 cm and a tail of around 4.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 12 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the American Cliff Swallow?
The American Cliff Swallow is a small bird that weighs around 21.6 g.
Where does the American Cliff Swallow live?
The American Cliff Swallow is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the American Cliff Swallow belong to?
The American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the American Cliff Swallow eat?
The American Cliff Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the American Cliff Swallow migrate?
The American Cliff Swallow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the American Cliff Swallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the American Cliff Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the American Cliff Swallow — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the American Cliff Swallow's range?
The American Cliff Swallow has a mapped global range of about 12 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Hirundinidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.