Swellow Cards & Binder Ideas (Featuring Taillow)
Personalized Swellow card scouting: stats, lore, and layout notes for binders that feel curated, not copied.
2024-07-12
Popularity Rank: #525
Fan survey data
Blended rank from two r/pokemon "favourite Pokémon" surveys, weighted 60/40 toward the 2025 results (u/Jawnysparklez; u/mamamia1001 2019).
2025 survey: #639
2019 survey: #318
#525 / 1025
Pokédex details
National Dex
#0277
Height
0.7 m
Weight
19.8 kg
Capture rate
45 / 255
Generation
Gen III
Gender ratio
50% male, 50% female
Hatch steps
3,825 steps
Base happiness
70
Growth rate
Medium Slow
Color
Blue
Habitat
Grassland
Shape
Wings
Swellow — the quick "why it's beloved" list
The elevator pitch for Swellow: cute, recognizable, and worth a binder slot.
- Bulbapedia traces its design inspiration: swellow may be a combination of swell (excellent, or to grow larger) and swallow.
- Cheerful personality in-game — Swellow feels upbeat even before you pick a favourite card.
- A staple in our Birds & Bats crowd — Swellow is one of those picks collectors nod at immediately.
Pokémon TCG cards
Recent cards featuring Swellow from the Trading Card Game, newest first.
Fantastical Parade
Three Diamond
Destined Rivals
Common
Vivid Voltage
Uncommon
Guardians Rising
Rare
Roaring Skies
Rare
Roaring Skies
Rare
XY
Rare
Legends Awakened
Uncommon
POP Series 1
Common
Emerald
Uncommon
Deoxys
Uncommon
Dragon
Uncommon
Showing 12 of 15 loaded cards · card data from TCGdex with pokemontcg.io as backup · images via Scrydex when needed
Binder plan: Swellow edition
Spread layout for Swellow, TCG picks to anchor the page, and open artwork you can print for Michi-style scene pockets.
Cards to anchor your spread
TCG picks for collectors — pair these with a printed scene below.
Swellow #104 (Guardians Rising) is a promo worth chasing — alternate art that stands out on any Swellow binder page.
Swellow #157 (Destined Rivals) is a reliable choice for any Swellow binder — good value and classic artwork.
Swellow #134 (Vivid Voltage) is a fun addition for collectors — affordable and perfect for filling out a Swellow page.
Species art references
Character renders for colour matching, pose ideas, and silhouette checks.
Official artwork
Match card holo colours and keep the species silhouette consistent across pockets.
HOME render
Modern pose reference when you want a cleaner, upright character layout.
Dream World vector
Simple line-and-fill shape — handy for tracing pocket placement before you print.
Shiny palette
Alternate colourway for accent pockets or shiny-themed spreads.
Art via PokéAPI/sprites (open source).
Swellow mini binder spread
A seeded two-page 3×3 binder mockup using Swellow chase cards and Michi Method scene art for display planning.
Left page
Guardians Rising
Rare
Destined Rivals
Common
Vivid Voltage
Uncommon
Fantastical Parade
Three Diamond
Roaring Skies
Rare
Roaring Skies
Rare
XY
Rare
Right page
Legends Awakened
Uncommon
POP Series 1
Common
Emerald
Uncommon
Deoxys
Uncommon
Dragon
Uncommon
Dragon Frontiers
Uncommon
Delta Species
Rare
The Michi Method treats your binder like a small gallery: print one scene that spans multiple pockets, then nest your favourite Swellow cards around it. The picks and reference art below are meant for collectors building display spreads — not competitive lists.
Michi Method scene examples
Illustration picks when dedicated scene art is not cached yet — card frames may still show.
Scene wallpaper — Swellow
Scene art via Wallhaven — Scene wallpaper — Swellow
Scene wallpaper — Swellow
Scene art via Wallhaven — Scene wallpaper — Swellow
Find more scene art
Curated galleries and search links — we do not hotlink Pinterest or ArtStation results.
Pokémon and character names are trademarks of Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.
Additional tips
- National Dex #277 is a quiet flex on dividers or handwritten indices — collectors who sort by number will thank you.
- Label one pocket "海外" / overseas and one domestic — pairing Swellow (オオスバメ) with English prints reads like a travel diary spread.
- If you're building for Birds & Bats, repeat one motif (floral border, café table, neon sign) across three cards so the theme feels authored.
- Swellow's slow growth curve mirrors a "long-term grail" collecting style — pace upgrades across years instead of impulse-buying every reprint.
Swellow on the tabletop
For players and duel-minded collectors — abilities, hallmark moves, and tier shorthand in one place.
Base stats
In-game numbers for Swellow — useful context beside abilities and moves.
HP
60
Attack
85
Defense
60
Sp. Atk
75
Sp. Def
50
Speed
125
Total: 455
Players file Swellow around tier "Past" while Ability Guts (Increases Attack to 1.5× with a major status ailment.) shapes the fantasy — chase art that stages that payoff, not just the highest number on the slab.
- Hidden Ability Scrappy is the deep-cut hunt — call it out when you sell or trade so buyers know you are curating, not flipping random holos.
- Normal/Flying typings invite clash lighting or split backgrounds — lean into that tension on-page.
3D battle sprites
Animated Showdown-style models for Swellow — normal and shiny.
Sprites via Project Pokémon. Pokémon and character names are trademarks of Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.
Backstory & Lore
A short write-up on Swellow, weaving together Pokédex notes, species lore, and evolution context.
SWELLOW flies high above our heads, making graceful arcs in the sky. This POKéMON dives at a steep angle as soon as it spots its prey. The hapless prey is tightly grasped by SWELLOW’s clawed feet, preventing escape.
SWELLOW is very conscientious about the upkeep of its glossy wings. Once two SWELLOW are gathered, they diligently take care of cleaning each other’s wings.
A SWELLOW dives upon prey from far above. It never misses its targets. It takes to the skies in search of lands with a warm climate.
A second dex beat (Soulsilver) frames Swellow as one that dives at a steep angle as soon as it spots its prey.. Rotating that line on a sticky note beside the page keeps the spread feeling lived-in.
Swellow shows up in Black lore as one that circles the sky in search of prey.. When you shop for cards, look for illustrations that lean into that mood instead of generic portrait poses.
Name in other languages
Common localized names collectors may search for.
German
Schwalboss
Spanish
Swellow
French
Hélédelle
Italian
Swellow
Japanese
オオスバメ
Japanese (Romaji)
Ohsubame
Korean
스왈로
Chinese (Simplified)
大王燕
Chinese (Traditional)
大王燕
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