The oldest known Cliff Swallow in the wild was 11 years, 10 months old. Cliff swallows will began pair formation when nest ownership and building starts. Here’Re A Few Interesting Facts About Swallows Like Types Of Swallows, Their Physical Features And Habitat. Biologists John Hoogland and Paul Sherman measured the costs and benefits of living in colonies, using natural variation in the bank swallows' colony sizes. The Cliff Swallow is found breeding in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and western Massachusetts. Wing Shape. Visit the Bent Life History for extensive additional information on the Cliff Swallow. More information: Bent Life History. This bird is seen in mainly in migration in the rest of the region. Cliff swallow colonies often are not reoccupied after 1 or 2 years of use because of heavy infestations. Cliff Swallows will occasionally lay their eggs in neighboring nests and have been observed actually moving eggs from their own nest into others. Cliff swallow nests are gourd-shaped, enclosed structures with an entrance tunnel that opens downward (Fig. Legs and feet are gray. During the breeding season, it lives in colonies that may have hundreds to thousands of pouch-shaped mud nests attached to stony surfaces. Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) According to authorities Charles R. and Mary B. They winter in South America. Obsolete English Names: eave swallow, Republican swallow. Nest Construction. The Cliff Swallow Project has its roots in a study conducted in the early 1970's on bank swallows in Michigan. Males and females both contribute towards building the nest during the breeding period, but males may get a head-start and begin building before females arrive for the season. Catches insects in flight. The feathers on its back have a bluish appearance while the wings appear brown. The cave swallow measures between 12 and 14cm, and weighs approximately 19g. This swallow winters in South America. Crown is blue-black, bill is short and black. The population is stable. The shape of a bird's wing is often an indication of its habits and behavior. Fast flying birds have long, pointed wings. Cliff Swallows breed in most areas from Alaska to Mexico. Brown, The Birds of North America, the Cliff Swallow is one of the most social - and more quarrelsome - of all our landbirds. Forehead is white or buff while throat, sides of face are orange-brown. Tail is dark and squared. Cliff swallows will even prematurely desert their nests en masse, leaving their young to starve, when swallow bug populations become too great. 1). Cliff swallows will choose a mate with which to raise nestlings, but both the males and females will mate with other birds. The South African cliff swallow (Petrochelidon spilodera), also known as the South African swallow, is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae native to central−western and southern Africa.. Physical features: This swallow resembles the cliff swallow quite closely in appearance. It is found in Botswana, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Breeding Map from eBird Sightings of the Cliff Swallow May-July over the past 10 years (2009-2019) Birds | Mammals | Butterflies Garden Shop. Cliff Swallow: Small, stocky swallow, dark blue-gray upperparts, pale orange-brown rump, buff underparts.