How to Spot a Cave Swallow

Look for Cave Swallows near caves in open country or making nests on the undersides of bridges. During breeding season in the summer months, you can find the Cave Swallow in southern New Mexico, south Texas, Mexico, southern Florida and the northern Caribbean. The Cave Swallow lives in Mexico and the Caribbean during the winter.

Take note of the small size of this songbird. Cave Swallows measure between 5 and 6 inches in length, and they have a wingspan of approximately 12 inches. They weigh between .6 and .9 oz.

Observe the Cave Swallow's dark blue or steel blue upper parts with white streaking. They have a chestnut brown colored forehead and a dark blue crown, with buff colored throats, faces and sides. The underparts of the Cave Swallow are a whitish color and the rump is colored orange. Cave Swallows have brown square-shaped tails and brown, long and pointed wings. Males and females have a similar appearance.

Listen to the sounds of the Cave Swallow on the What Bird website. (See link in Resources.) The call of the Cave Swallow resembles a "chu" or "chur" sound, and the Cave Swallow's song sounds like a twitter or a buzz.

Watch the Cave Swallow in flight. You'll see alternate periods of long glides with rapid deep wing beats. They fly swiftly and gracefully, and you can often see them soaring high in the sky.