When do cliff swallows arrive in Alaska?
The Cliff Swallow is a summer breeder in Alaska — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Cliff Swallow timing in Alaska
- Arrives
- Around May
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- June–July
- Present roughly
- May–August
In Alaska, cliff swallows are present through the warm months, arriving around May and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Alaska sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here runs later than the continental average — the season starts later this far north and the birds wait for it. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when cliff swallows are expected in Alaska. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before May is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early May — the first cliff swallows into Alaska are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around June, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What cliff swallows eat while they're here
- Flies, beetles, bees and winged ants
Builds mud jug nests in dense colonies under bridges and eaves; leave a mud puddle nearby in spring.
Full Cliff Swallow diet guide → · Best feeder for cliff swallows →
Native plants that hold cliff swallows in Alaska
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Alaska-native plants are known to attract cliff swallows:
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.
Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.
Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.
Catkin seed for redpolls on the tundra.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do cliff swallows arrive in Alaska?
cliff swallows typically arrive in Alaska around May, with nesting underway by June. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do cliff swallows leave Alaska?
Most cliff swallows have left Alaska by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do cliff swallows stay in Alaska all year?
No — in Alaska the Cliff Swallow is a summer breeder, present roughly May–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before cliff swallows arrive in Alaska?
Have feeders up and clean by early May — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: flies, beetles, bees and winged ants.
Sources
- Cliff Swallow — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Cliff Swallow life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Cliff Swallow — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Alaska
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.