Cave Swallow

The cave swallow 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 entrances of caves and sinkholes, sharing the space with bats. More recently, Cave Swallows started nesting under bridges and culverts and expanding their range northward. These colonial nesters collect mud and bat guano with their bill to build a nest that they cement onto walls and ledges. The Cave Swallow devours flying insects with quick airborne twists and turns that show off its chestnut rump patch and forehead. 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 recognised according to Birds of North America, three occurring in North America and two in South America.