Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennisOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Swallows (Hirundinidae)

Codes: Common Name: NRWS Scientific Name: STESER ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178443

Related Birds

Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Purple Martin
Bank Swallow
Cave Swallow
Common House-Martin

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Small, stocky swallow, brown upperparts, paler underparts, pale brown throat. Tail is squared with white undertail coverts. Named for tiny hooks found on outer primary feathers. Swift, graceful flight, alternates several slow, deep wing beats with short or long glides.

Range and Habitat

Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and southern Canada southward throughout the U.S. Spends winters north to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida.

Topo Map: Swallow-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"br-r-ret"

Interesting Facts

John James Audubon discovered the Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Louisiana in 1819. He shot five birds and only after seeing they were unfamiliar, collected them for further study.

The Greek genus name, Stelgidopteryx, means "scraper wing;" the Latin species name, serripennis, means "saw feather."

A pair of birds was documented nesting in a Civil War Cannon.

A group of swallows has many collective nouns, including a "gulp", "herd", "kettle", "richness", and "sord" of swallows.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Range Map for Northern Rough-winged Swallow

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

● Song: "br-r-ret"

● Foraging & Feeding: Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Eats insects; forages in flight, taking insects in the air or from the water surface; sometimes forages on the ground. Drinks by skimming the water surface while in flight.

● Breeding & nesting: Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Four to eight white eggs are laid in a burrow or natural cavity; also uses ready-made cavities in bridges, culverts, and other streamside masonry. Eggs are incubated for 12 days by the female.

● Similar species: Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Bank Swallow is smaller and has a white throat and brown breast band.

Flight Pattern

Swift graceful flight with slow deep wing beats.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and southern Canada southward throughout the U.S. Spends winters north to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester, Small colonies

^PopulationIncreasing

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.6 Ounces

Swallow-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America