Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusPetrochelidon (Cliff Swallows and Allies)
- SpeciesPetrochelidon pyrrhonota (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. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Cliff Swallow sighting in Denali National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Denali National Park
Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
Gray Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Boreal Chickadee
Poecile hudsonicus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cliff Swallow in Denali National Park?
About 0% of wildlife watchers report a Cliff Swallow sighting in Denali National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cliff Swallow in Denali National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Cliff Swallow in Denali National Park in our monthly data.