Bird
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
A summer resident that nests in Virginia. Found in all 133 counties and cities, across 11 habitats.
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 11

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 11
- Habitat models
- Summer
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Virginia 11
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.


Streams, rivers and their banks


Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.
Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits


Granite and other acidic rock outcrops
Bare or thin-soil rock on granite, gneiss, sandstone, quartzite and similar acidic rock, including granite flatrocks and domes.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (63)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Virginia.
- Developed, Low Intensity Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Developed, Medium Intensity Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer.
- Central Interior Calcareous Cliff and Talus Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Interior Acidic Cliff and Talus Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Appalachian Circumneutral Cliff and Talus Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Interior Acid Cliff Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Appalachian Rocky Summit Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Summer.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Northeastern Interior Pine Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Summer.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Summer.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Summer.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer.
- Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Summer.
- Cumberland Riverscour Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Summer.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Summer.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Summer.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer.
- Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Summer.
Seasons in Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 89 of 133 counties and cities.
- Summer: nests here, in 60 of 133 counties and cities.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 672
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Red MapleAcer rubrum
- Virginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefolia
- Common HackberryCeltis occidentalis
- Sweet WoodreedCinna arundinacea
- Poverty OatgrassDanthonia spicata
- White AshFraxinus americana
- Green AshFraxinus pennsylvanica
- Spotted JewelweedImpatiens capensis
- Northern SpicebushLindera benzoin
- Royal FernOsmunda spectabilis
- Hazel AlderAlnus serrulata
- Wavy HairgrassAvenella flexuosa
- Flowering DogwoodBenthamidia florida
- River BirchBetula nigra
- False NettleBoehmeria cylindrica
- Fringed SedgeCarex crinita
- Sallow SedgeCarex lurida
- American HornbeamCarpinus caroliniana
- Mountain LaurelKalmia latifolia
- Canada Wood-nettleLaportea canadensis
- Rice CutgrassLeersia oryzoides
- SweetgumLiquidambar styraciflua
- TuliptreeLiriodendron tulipifera
- Cardinal-flowerLobelia cardinalis
Wildlife 260
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in Virginia. Not sighting records.
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
- American AvocetRecurvirostra americana
- American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
- Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis
- Black-bellied PloverPluvialis squatarola
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Brown CreeperCerthia americana
- Chuck-will's-widowCaprimulgus carolinensis
- Eastern Wood-peweeContopus virens
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP summer habitat model for Cliff Swallow Fresh water only
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)












































