Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Description

This is a brown backed swallow (although lighter than a bank swallow). There is no neck band and they have a dusky throat. Their flight is done in a gliding path; their wings are pulled back at the end of a stoke.

Voice

They have a harsh trrit. The sound is harsher than that of a bank swallow.

Habitat

Northern rough-winged swallows are found near streams and lakes and can be found in man-made structures such as brick and stone objects.

Diet

They eat flying insects.

Range

Northern rough-winged swallows can be found throughout most of the United States.

Other Useful Information

The Northern rough-winged swallow gets its name from the barb-like protrusions that are on their primary feathers. Males are longer and hooked, females are smaller and straighter. It feels like rubbing your finger on a rough file when touching the feathers.

Similar Species

Bank swallows and juvenile tree swallows.