What are Cliff Swallows’ predators?
Cliff Swallows’ most significant predators are snakes that eat eggs and chicks they find in nests. In Nebraska, bull snakes (Pituophis catenifer) are responsible for most Cliff Swallow nest predations. Adult and juvenile Cliff Swallows maybe captured in flight by American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus), Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula), Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia), Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) and similar species. Great-blue Herons (Ardea herodias), Black-billed Magpies, and Common Grackles may pull nestlings out of nests. House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) destroy eggs and kill nestlings while taking over Cliff Swallow nests for their own use.
What other birds like Cliff Swallows can be found in Nebraska?
In addition to Cliff Swallows, Cave Swallows (Petrochelidon fulva), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), Rough-winged Swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis), Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia), Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina), and Purple Martins (Progne subis) can all be found in Nebraska during the summer. Cliff Swallows may hybridize with Cave and Barn Swallows. Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) and White-throated Swifts (Aeronautes saxatalis) look and act much like Cliff Swallows, but are not closely related.