The Cliff Swallow builds gourd-shaped mud nests in large colonies under bridges, on cliff faces, and on building eaves — a single colony may contain thousands of nests. It has a distinctive square tail and pale buffy rump that separate it from the forked-tailed Barn Swallow. The famous return of swallows to San Juan Capistrano each March refers to this species.
Best time to see a Cliff Swallow
The best time to see a Cliff Swallow is April–June, when about 72% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 27,125 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Cliff Swallow sightings near you
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