From Opus

Photo by forcreeks
Chiloquin, Oregon, May 2005

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

[edit] Identification

5-6" (13-15 cm). Sparrow-sized. A stocky, square-tailed swallow with pale buff rump. Upperparts dull steel-blue; underparts buff-white; throat dark chestnut; forehead white.

[edit] Similar Species

Cave Swallow of Texas and Southwest is similar but smaller, with darker rump and pale buff throat. Mexican birds have chestnut foreheads.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds from Alaska, Ontario, and Nova Scotia southward through most of United States (except Southeast) and in northern half of Mexico. Winters in South America.

Photo by adampaul
Palo Alto, California, June 2007

[edit] Taxonomy

Cliff Swallow has in the past been placed in genus Hirundo.

[edit] Subspecies

Four different subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• P. p. pyrrhonota:

• Breeds Alaska and US; winters to South America

• P. p. ganieri:

• Southern US westt of Appalachians (Tennessee to Texas); winters to South America

• P. p. tachina:

• South-western US to north-western Mexico and Baja; winters to South America

• P. p. melanogaster:

• South-eastern Arizona and New Mexico to Oaxaca; winters to South America

melanogaster is sometimes included in pyrrhonota but those sources then recognize a form minima^[2].

[edit] Habitat

Open country near buildings or cliffs. Takes suburban area North ; lakeshores and marshes on migration.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Nesting: 4-6 white eggs in a gourd-shaped structure of mud lined with feathers and placed on a sheltered cliff face or under eaves. Nests in colonies.

[edit] Vocalisation

Constant squeaky chattering and twittering.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Avibase

• List of references

[edit] External Links