Cliff Swallow
Learn to identify the Cliff Swallow by ear. Master the "vreet-vreet-vreet-vreet" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Cliff Swallow sounds like
Loud squeaks, creaks, and guttural notes tumble around the nest. The clip is a busy bundle of calls, not a single courtship song.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Breeds across most of North America. Winters in southern South America, chiefly in Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.
Open areas near water and vertical surfaces for nesting—river canyons, lakeshores, grasslands, agricultural fields, towns, and highway overpasses.
In North America from late March to October; migrates in vast flocks to South American wintering grounds for the austral summer.
How to recognize it by sight
The Cliff Swallow is a highly social, acrobatic songbird best known for the gourd-shaped mud nests it plasters beneath bridges, cliffs, and the eaves of buildings. Sleek and compact, it spends most of its life on the wing, chattering as it wheels through the air in pursuit of flying insects.
Similar species
Barn Swallow
Barn Swallow has deeply forked tail with white spots.
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow shines metallic blue-green above with clean white underparts.
Cave Swallow (SW USA)
Cave Swallow has pale throat and darker rump (reverse of Cliff).