
Small swallow with long wings and a short, shallowly forked tail. Warm earthy brown above, with a buffy-brown chest and lighter brown rump. White belly. Dark legs and small, black bill. Juveniles have rich, buffy-brown wing bars. Juvenile Tree Swallows are darker and more dusky above, with a dusky partial band across the chest and a white throat. Bank Swallow is smaller, darker brown overall, and has a clean white throat and crisp brown breast band.
Length: 14 (cm) Wingspan: 29 (cm)
Voice:
Often repeats a short, single-pitched, rattling brreet.
Habitat:
Found in open areas with grass, sand or gravel, usually near water. Nests in burrows in sandy banks or occasionally other hollows.
Behavior:
Swoops low over the ground or water with relatively slow wing beats and short glides. Usually solitary; may nest in colonies of a few pairs. Flight style is more buoyant erratic than most other swallows.
Feeding:
Feeds on flying insects.
Field Notes
To get to know these birds by ear, remember "rough wing, rough call." These birds often give their flatulent call-notes in easily counted groups of 4 or 5. Sometimes in spring these swallows rip past in pairs and small groups, continually vocal, and they can actually dominate the bird sounds along streamsides and in canyons in late April. It is possible early on in one's birding (pers. exp.) to over-eagerly misidentify returning brownish-backed, second-year Tree Swallows as Rough-wings, especially if (a) there are only a few of the brownish-backed swallows present, and (b) the birder really, really wants to see that first-arrival or lifer Rough-wing.
Citation: Personal Experience. I observe this regularly, highly confident.
Expanded Life History
Feed Ecology And Diet | Contribute Content |
Nesting Habits | Contribute Content |
Migration Status | Contribute Content |
Conservation Status | Contribute Content |
Local Sites to Spot | Contribute Content |
Abundance Status | Contribute Content |
Adult Male Description | Contribute Content |
Adult Female Description | Contribute Content |
ITIS Taxonomic Number | Contribute Content |
Sonogram | Contribute Content |
Courtship | Contribute Content |
Reproductive Characteristics | Contribute Content |
Relationship to Humans | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Size & Shape | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Color & Pattern | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Habitat | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Behavior | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Wingspan | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Weight | Contribute Content |
Breeding | Contribute Content |
Cool Facts | Contribute Content |
Local Knowledge | Contribute Content |
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Sightings
Date | Submitted By | Count |
---|---|---|
08/28/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/28/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/28/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/14/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/14/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/10/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/10/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/03/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
07/03/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/26/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/26/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/19/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/19/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/19/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
06/05/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
Recent Activity
Activity | Date & Time |
---|---|
Joshua Kelver added Northern Rough-winged Swallow to their Waynesburg, PA smart list | 4/19/2012 at 6:19PM |
David Fix added a note to Northern Rough-winged Swallow Notes | 7/03/2011 at 7:28PM |
Dave Irons added Northern Rough-winged Swallow to their Baker Creek/Willis Road area, McMinnville, OR smart list | 4/29/2011 at 11:53PM |