All birds/Hirundinidae/Cave Swallow
AI reconstruction of Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)AI

AI reconstruction created with Nano Banana 2 · 1K, grounded in the profile’s documented taxonomy, habitat, natural-history sources, and an open-license visual reference when available. It is an interpretive image, not documentary evidence. Image policy

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)
Verified source photographKristiina HurmeCC-BY · View source
PRB-0289Passeriformes

Cave Swallow

Golondrina de Cuevas

Petrochelidon fulva

ResidentIUCN LC · Least Concern

The cave swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) is a medium-sized, squarish-tailed swallow belonging to the same genus as the more familiar and widespread cliff swallow of North America. The cave swallow, also native to the Americas, nests and roosts primarily in caves and sinkholes. Cave swallows are found in Mexico and the Greater Antilles, with fall and winter vagrants reaching the east and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. Breeding colonies occur in south-eastern New Mexico, Texas, Florida, the Greater Antilles, portions of southern Mexico, and along the west coast of South America. Five subspecies are currently recognized according to Birds of North America, three occurring in North America and two in South America.

FamilyHirundinidaeSwallows
Puerto Rico occurrenceResidentAvibase inferred core 380
Primary habitatCaves; cliffs; bridges and structures; open foraging airspaceCaves; cliffs; bridges and structures; open foraging airspace
Primary dietInvertebrateInvertivore
Average mass21.049999999999997 gGlobal trait estimate
MovementMigratoryAerial

Sound archive

Hear its voice

Explore real songs and calls. The spectrogram turns each sound into a visual trace of time and frequency.

XC46653Recording 1 of 3call
Spectrogram of Cave Swallow: call
SpectrogramPetrochelidon fulva

Play: call by Daniel Lane

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Sound recorded by Daniel Lane · XC46653 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Visualization by Stichting Xeno-canto voor Natuurgeluiden.

Every recording retains the creator, catalogue number, and license published by Xeno-canto. Metadata via GBIF

Island profile

Catalog scopeAvibase inferred core 380

About the Cave Swallow

The cave swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) is a medium-sized, squarish-tailed swallow belonging to the same genus as the more familiar and widespread cliff swallow of North America. The cave swallow, also native to the Americas, nests and roosts primarily in caves and sinkholes. Cave swallows are found in Mexico and the Greater Antilles, with fall and winter vagrants reaching the east and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. Breeding colonies occur in south-eastern New Mexico, Texas, Florida, the Greater Antilles, portions of southern Mexico, and along the west coast of South America. Five subspecies are currently recognized according to Birds of North America, three occurring in North America and two in South America.

Conservation

Least Concern

IUCN LC

Global IUCN
LC
Puerto Rico DNER
No current listing in source crosswalk
Federal ESA
No current listing in source crosswalk
Critical habitat
Not identified in source crosswalk

Natural history

How it lives

Habitat
Caves; cliffs; bridges and structures; open foraging airspace
Elevation
0–2100 m
Nest
Cup / bowl; Half cup / shallow · Building; Rock
Clutch
1–8 eggs
Social behavior
Colonial

Keep exploring

This bird belongs to 8 paths through the atlas.

Evidence trail

Sources, media & further reading

Research note: SOPI tags the Puerto Rican subspecies; verify current checklist authority