Swallows

4 species

All groups

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica

MediumCommon in summer

The swallow with the long forked tail, hunting a few feet above the water all
summer.

Spring through early fall Open air over water and fields; nests under bridges and eaves Its call is recorded in the field guide
Open the field guide
Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

SmallCommon in summer, in colonies — absent in winter

The swallow that builds a mud jug and glues it under a bridge, a few hundred at
a time. Square-tailed, pale-rumped, and far commoner over Portland than most
people notice.

April to September Open air over water; nests in colonies under bridges and eaves Its call is recorded in the field guide
Open the field guide
Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor

SmallCommon in summer

The swallow that glitters. In the right light the back goes from dark to brilliant
blue-green in a single turn.

Spring through late summer Open air over water and meadow; nest boxes and cavities Its call is recorded in the field guide
Open the field guide
Violet-green Swallow

Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina

SmallCommon in summer, over water and open ground

A small swallow that looks plain white and dark from below and astonishing from
above — bronze-green across the back with violet on the rump, if the light
catches it right.

Spring and summer — arrives in March, gone by September Open sky over the refuge, the river, and any gap in the trees Its call is recorded in the field guide
Open the field guide