 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-1.85 (-2.83 - -1.01)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Cliff Swallows will nest by dozens, sometimes hundreds, in closely packed gourd-shaped mud nests on cliffs, under eaves of buildings, and particularly under bridges. The flock of swirling swallows is often visible and easily recognizable from the road. The breeding range of the Cliff Swallow is huge-a triangle with points in central Alaska, the Maritimes, and southern Mexico; the wintering range is poorly known but appears to be mainly southern South America.
As its name suggests, the Cliff Swallow nests on natural cliff faces along rivers and in southern badlands. Nests on buildings have diminished greatly since the 1930s, but nests are found under bridges spanning streams or rivers throughout the southern half of Saskatchewan. It also nests in large culverts.
It is a local and uncommon bird in the Lake Athabasca area and a locally common summer resident from Kazan Lake and La Ronge in the Boreal Forest south through the grasslands. It is absent or a rare transient in the rest of the Boreal (Smith 1996). It remains close to nest sites during the breeding season and breeds only where nest sites and sufficient insects for food are available.
Original text by Dale George Hjertaas. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Cliff Swallow in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Cliff Swallow in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=CLSW&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]
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