Identification
Compact swallow with a short, square tail. In flight, looks slightly less angular than other swallows, with more rounded wings. Note pale buffy-orange rump, which separates Cave from most other swallows in range. Also look for pale orange throat and orange forehead. Compare especially with Cliff Swallow, which has a darker throat and pale forehead. Fairly common in northern Mexico and on the Yucatan peninsula, with numbers increasing dramatically in Texas. Also occurs in the Caribbean, where birds are richer orange on the throat, rump, and sides. Sometimes nests in caves, but also frequently found under bridges and other human-made structures. Forages over open fields or bodies of water. Vagrants turn up regularly in the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada in late fall, after most other swallows have departed.