Varieties of Swallows

Swallows and martins are a variety of birds of the order Passeriformes in the Hirundinidae family. Swallows are small perching birds characterized by their long and narrow wings and weak feet. While there are about 75 to 100 different varieties of swallows, only eight species are native to North America.

  1. Bank Swallow

    • The bank swallow is a colonial nester that lives in streamside banks throughout North America. These streamside colonies can hold up to 2,000 different nests. The birds' brown back and white belly make the bank swallow one of the most easily distinguished varieties of swallows.

    Barn Swallow

    • The barn swallow is the most common variety of swallow in the world. Once an inhabitant of barns, this species of swallow now nests on various man-made structures. An easily recognized feature of the barn swallow is the bird's long and forked tail.

    Cave Swallow

    • The cave swallow is a small, stocky and long winged songbird that often nests inside cave entrances with bats. Due to the growing population, these swallows will also roost under roads and bridges. This species of swallow is native to Texas and parts of Florida.

    Cliff Swallow

    • The cliff swallow is a colonial nester that lives in gourd-shaped mud nests under cliffs, bridges, buildings and dams. The colonies of cliff swallows can hold up to 3,700 nests. This species is similar in appearance to a barn swallow.

    Northern Rough-Winged Swallow

    • The northern rough-winged swallow is a small, stocky and long-winged bird with outer wing feathers that have small points or hooks on their edges. One of the plainer varieties of swallows, the bird is various shades of brown.

    Purple Martin

    • The purple martin is the largest variety of American swallow. These birds are colonial nesters that live in various cavities of trees as well as man-made backyard birdhouses. Male purple martins are an iridescent purple, and female purple martins are brown.

    Tree Swallow

    • The tree swallow is an acrobatic songbird that lives mostly in open fields and marshes but also will live in man-made nest boxes. While most varieties of swallows eat insects, the tree swallow is able to eat plant food as well.

    Violet-Green Swallow

    • The violet-green swallow is a small and sleek swallow that has an iridescent violet-green back and white belly. This variety of swallow lives only in the open woodlands of the western U.S.