Adult. Photo: Becky Matsubara/Flickr (CC BY-2.0)
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
| Conservation status | Declines have been noted in a few areas, but general continent-wide trend is toward wider range and higher numbers. |
|---|---|
| Family | Swallows |
| Habitat | Open to semi-open land, farms, cliffs, river bluffs, lakes. Widespread in all kinds of semi-open country, especially near water, from prairies to desert rivers to clearings in northern forest. Breeds where it can find sheltered vertical cliffs or other surfaces for nesting and a supply of mud for building the nest; still unaccountably scarce or missing in some seemingly suitable areas. |
Feeds mostly on the wing. Often forages in flocks, and may feed low over the water or very high over other terrain. In bad weather, may feed on ground.
4-5, sometimes 3-6. White to pale pinkish, spotted with brown. Incubation is by both parents, 14-16 days. Young: Both parents bring food for nestlings. Young leave nest about 21-23 days after hatching.
Both parents bring food for nestlings. Young leave nest about 21-23 days after hatching.
Insects. Feeds mostly on a wide variety of flying insects, particularly beetles (including june beetles and adult weevils), true bugs, flies, winged ants, bees, and wasps. Also eats grasshoppers, mayflies, lacewings, and various other insects, plus some spiders. Occasionally eats berries.
Typically nests in colonies, sometimes with hundreds of nests crowded close together. Nest site is usually on vertical surface with some overhead shelter. Natural sites were on cliffs; most sites today on sides of buildings, under bridges, in culverts, or similar places. Nest is made of dried mud and shaped like a gourd, with large chamber for nest, narrowing to small entrance on side. Both sexes help build nest; inside of nest sparsely lined with grass and feathers. May repair and reuse old nest, sometimes that of another species.
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures.
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
An early spring may sound lovely after a long winter, but can be disastrous for wildlife.
The Ogden-Standard Examiner's look at Utah's Bear River.
Artificial nests and recorded calls could lure the birds back to their celebrated nesting grounds in California.
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