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Home/Species/ Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

(Audubon, 1838)

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

G5Secure Found in 76 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100539
Element CodeABPAU07010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyHirundinidae
GenusStelgidopteryx
Other Common Names
Golondrina Ala Aserrada (ES) Hirondelle à ailes hérissées (FR) northern rough-winged swallow (EN)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly considered conspecific with S. ruficollis and called the rough-winged swallow. Some authors consider the two groups as distinct species, S. serripennis (Northern Rough-winged Swallow) and S. ridgwayi (Ridgway's Rough-winged Swallow) (Phillips 1986, 1994, AOU 1998). Johnson (1994) concluded that existing information does not justify the recognition of ridgwayi as a distinct species, though he not rule out the possibility that it actually is a species. See Sheldon and Winkler (1993) for information on intergeneric phylogenetic relationships of Hirundininae based on DNA-DNA hybridization.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-10
Change Date1996-12-02
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: southeastern Alaska (rarely), British Columbia, south through southern Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, western Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Breeding range has expanded in the north over past several decades. WINTERS: southern Texas, southern Louisiana, and southern Florida south through breeding range to Panama.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Open and partly open situations, especially along watercourses with steep banks, and roadside cuts. Nests in burrows in cliffs, riverbanks, roadside cuts, culverts, drain pipes, holes in walls, under bridges; locally in caves and old buildings (RIDGWAYI group). In Costa Rica, often nests in burrow dug by motmot or kingfisher (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Reproduction

Clutch size is 4-8 (usually 6-7, but 4, rarely 5, in Costa Rica, Stiles and Skutch 1989). Incubation lasts 15-16 days, by female. Nestlings altricial. Young are tended by both adults, leave nest when 18-21 days old (Terres 1980). Will re-lay if first nesting attempt fails. Nest singly or in small scattered groups.
Terrestrial Habitats
SavannaGrassland/herbaceousCropland/hedgerowAerial
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparianAerial
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS4BYes
New BrunswickS1BYes
SaskatchewanS4BYes
QuebecS3BYes
British ColumbiaS4BYes
Yukon TerritoryS2BYes
ManitobaS3BYes
OntarioS4BYes
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
OhioS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS4B,S5MYes
South DakotaS4BYes
ArizonaS5Yes
IndianaS4BYes
TennesseeS5Yes
OklahomaSNRBYes
VirginiaS5Yes
Rhode IslandS3BYes
TexasS3B,S4NYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
New JerseyS4B,S4NYes
ConnecticutS5BYes
MississippiS5BYes
New MexicoS4B,S5NYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
UtahS3Yes
MissouriSNRBYes
AlabamaS5BYes
IllinoisS5Yes
DelawareS5BYes
LouisianaS4BYes
IdahoS4BYes
VermontS4BYes
KansasS4BYes
ColoradoS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
ArkansasS4B,S4NYes
North CarolinaS4BYes
MichiganS5Yes
OregonS4Yes
NevadaS5Yes
MontanaS5BYes
MarylandS4BYes
South CarolinaS4BYes
NebraskaSNRBYes
West VirginiaS5BYes
FloridaSNRBYes
WyomingS5B,S5NYes
Navajo NationS4BYes
District of ColumbiaS2N,S3BYes
MaineS3BYes
AlaskaS3BYes
WisconsinS4BYes
IowaS5B,S5NYes
New YorkS5BYes
New HampshireS5BYes
WashingtonS4BYes
KentuckyS5BYes
MassachusettsS4BYes
Roadless Areas (76)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
California (17)
AreaForestAcres
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Ferguson RidgeSierra National Forest6,104
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Middle ForkPlumas National Forest29,278
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
PacksaddleSix Rivers National Forest3,862
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Trumbull PeakStanislaus National Forest6,164
West GirardShasta-Trinity National Forest37,516
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Montana (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
ElkhornHelena National Forest75,468
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
HoodooLolo National Forest105,162
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Middle Mtn. / Tobacco RootsBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest96,487
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Moriah - Silver CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,582
Ruby - Lamoille CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest32,771
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo de los FrijolesSanta Fe National Forest5,277
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Utah (11)
AreaForestAcres
418001Uinta National Forest5,697
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. Logan WestWasatch-Cache National Forest5,285
NoblettsWasatch-Cache National Forest3,116
North FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest8,148
PyramidsFishlake National Forest13,020
Rock CanyonDixie National Forest16,457
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Washington (8)
AreaForestAcres
Boulder RiverMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest32,563
ChelanWenatchee National Forest74,650
Eagle RockMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest34,064
Glacier Peak JMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest26,482
Glacier Peak KMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest47,269
Goat Rocks AdjWenatchee National Forest6,108
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
Willow SpringsUmatilla National Forest10,414
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Wyoming (6)
AreaForestAcres
0401036Ashley National Forest6,309
Cloud Peak ContiguousBighorn National Forest113,757
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (34)
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