Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennis Audubon

 

 

 

Field Guide IDs:
NG-324; G-220; PE-204; PW-pl 43; AE-pl 333; AW-pl 354; AM(II)-302


Nest
Location
Nest
Type
Eggs &
Mating System
Dev. &
Parental Care
Primary &
2ndary Diet
..
Foraging
Strategy
F
I: 12 DAYS
ALTRICIAL
SHRUB
CULVERT
(4 feet+)
CREVICE
MF
5-6
(4-8)
MONOG
F: 19-21 DAYS
MF


BREEDING:

Open country, savanna, esp near running water. 1 brood.

DISPLAYS:

In courtship flight, males pursue females, displaying white feathers at lower base of tail.

NEST:

At end of burrow 4'-5' (l'-6') deep, or in other cavity or niche; of grass, leaves weed stems, occ moist horse dung, no feather lining. In addition to occ excavating burrows, nest in deserted kingfisher burrows, rodent holes, and a wide variety of niches under bridges and wharves, in culverts, sewer pipes, etc.

EGGS:

White, unmarked. 0.7" (18 mm).

DIET:

Entirely insects; occ taken from ground.

CONSERVATION:

Winters s to Panama.

NOTES:

Usu solitary, occ loosely colonial. Often nest in Bank Swallow colony, where they perch on roots protruding from bank, something Bank Swallows never do. Function of serrations on outer primary feathers (from which name is derived) is unknown; possibly function to produce sounds in courtship flight.

STANFORD. NOTES:

Uncommon forager on campus from spring through fall, often seen foraging over Lagunita in spring. Not known to breed on campus.

ESSAYS:

Masterbuilders; Nest Materials; Birds, DNA, and Evolutionary Convergence; Nonvocal Sounds

REFERENCES:

Lunk, 1962; Ricklefs, 1972.

Except for Stanford Notes, the material in this species treatment is taken, with permission, from The Birder's Handbook (Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, & Darryl Wheye, Simon & Schuster, NY. 1988).