Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)

Other Scientific Names
Hirundo fulva [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)]

Other Names (World)
Cave Swallow, Cinnamon-throated Swallow

Family
Hirundinidae (Swallows And Martins)

Size
13 - 14 cm

First Described (Guide)
Vieillot, 1807

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland dry shrubland. From sea-level - 2,100 m.

Range (Guide)

Aruba, Belize, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica (B), Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, USA (B), Virgin Islands (U.S.) (P).

Vagrant to Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines.

Population
Estimated population is 7,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (22)...)

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) [XC34141]
by Stuart Fisher from Culberson County, Texas, United States (call)

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) [XC763620]
by Mike Nelson from SW 216th Bridge,Miami, Miami-Dade, Florida, Dominican Republic (song)

Subspecies
Genus often merged with Hirundo, but DNA studies support retention of separate taxa. Forms a superspecies with Chestnut-collared Swallow (Petrochelidon rufocollaris) and often considered conspecific, but recent cytochrome b evidence supports treatment as separate species. Subspecies pallida recently proposed to represent a distinct species; cytochrome b data further suggest, however, that present species consists of two clades, one in western (southern USA south to southern Mexico) and other in eastern (Florida and Greater Antilles). Additional study required. Several hybrids with Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) recorded. If genus merged into Hirundo, subspecies pallida must be named pelodoma, as "Hirundo pallida" preoccupied.

The following 6 subspecies are recognised:

pallida Nelson, 1902 - Breeds southern USA (southern New Mexico and Texas) south to north-central Mexico (south to southern Chihuahua, eastern Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potos�� and western Tamaulipas); some migrate to Central America.
citata van Tyne, 1938 - Southern Mexico (central Chiapas, northern Yucat�n Peninsula).
cavicola Barbour & Brooks, WS, 1917 - South-eastern USA (Florida) and Cuba (including I of Pines).
poeciloma (Gosse, 1847) - Jamaica.
fulva Vieillot, 1807 - Hispaniola.
puertoricensis Garrido, Peterson & Komar, 1999 - Puerto Rico.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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