Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
At a Glance
Two kinds of brown-backed swallows nest in holes in dirt banks. The Rough-wing is the solitary one, not nesting in colonies like the Bank Swallow. It is usually seen singly or in small groups, even during migration, in rapid low flight over rivers or fields. The name 'Rough-winged' comes from small serrations on the outermost wing feathers. The function of these is unknown, but they may produce sounds during courtship flights.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Swallow-like Birds, Swallows
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Desert and Arid Habitats, Forests and Woodlands, Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flap/Glide, Swooping
Population
27.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Generally an early migrant in spring. In parts of the southwest it is absent mainly in late fall, reappearing in January or even late December.
Description
5-5 3/4" (13-15 cm). Brown above, dull dingy gray-brown on throat, fading to white on belly and undertail coverts. Unlike other swallows, no sharp contrast on underparts.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Brown, Gray, White
Wing Shape
Broad, Long, Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Notched, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
A low, unmusical br-r-ret, more drawn out than the call of the Bank Swallow and often doubled.
Call Pattern
Flat
Call Type
Buzz
Habitat
Near streams, lakes, river banks, also arroyos in dry country. Widespread in any kind of open country, but most commonly near water, nesting in vertical dirt banks (as along streambanks, river bluffs, gravel pits). May also nest along dry washes in arid country, but usually feeds over water, fields, or dense brush.
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Behavior
Eggs
5-7, sometimes 4-8. White. Incubation probably by female, 12-16 days.
Young
Both parents feed nestlings. Young leave nest about 19-21 days after hatching. 1 brood per year.
Feeding Behavior
Forages mostly in the air, patrolling over rivers, ponds, and fields in swift flight. Usually forages low. Often solitary in foraging, but may join concentrations of other swallows at good feeding areas.
Diet
Insects. Feeds on a wide variety of flying insects, including many flies, wasps, winged ants, bees, true bugs, and beetles. Also eats some moths, caterpillars, mayflies, damselflies, spiders.
Nesting
Solitary in nesting; unlike Bank Swallow, does not form colonies, although several pairs may nest in favorable site. In courtship, male flies after female, spreading the white feathers under the base of his tail so that they are prominently displayed. Nest site is usually in burrow in vertical dirt bank; may be bank along running stream, or road cut or similar bank miles from water. Birds may dig tunnel themselves, 1-6' long, or may use old burrow of Bank Swallow, kingfisher, or ground squirrel. Sometimes in other kinds of cavities, such as drainpipe, culvert, crevice in bridge support, hole in side of building. Bulky nest at end of burrow made of twigs, weeds, bark fibers, lined with finer grasses, occasionally with fresh horse manure added.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Because it will nest in artificial sites, including road cuts and holes in bridges, may have increased with the spread of civilization.
Climate Threats Facing the Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.