Showing posts with label Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Show all posts
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Monday, October 2, 2023
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Northern Rough-winged Swallow
These uncommon brown swallows nest in sandbanks, road cuts, soft cliffs, or in crevices of manmade structures where they can gain purchase. The young birds in the video were waiting to be fed, and it gave a nice view of them gaping. Juveniles also have cinnamon-colored wingbars. They are solitary nesters, and sometimes several pairs will nest somewhat near one another, which is not as close as Barn Swallows. They prefer open areas with open substrate, but don't always nest in commercially made structures.
Nesting from April through July, they are single brooded, and it tends to be rarest in the southwest part of Oklahoma, but likely nests in the open woodlands with nearby water. Sometimes they use old kingfisher, squirrel, or Bank Swallow holes that are still useable. They have a twig nest at the end of a burrow, which the female incubates for about two weeks. Both parents feed the young, who leave the nest in about three weeks.
Northern Rough-winged Swallows
Boomer Lake Park, 2017
Summer residents in nearly the entire country, the white undertail coverts are seen while they are in flight, and their shorter, square tails are also noted during that time. The leading edges of the outer primaries lack the barbules that most birds have, hence the name "rough-winged."
They feed over water more often than not, and are excellent for low level flight over varied terrain. They are found from sea level to six thousand feet, often snatching insects from the top of the water.
Northern rough-winged Swallow
Patagonia Lake SP, AZ 2018
The species has declined over the past four decades, likely caused by pesticides, pollutants, climate change, and insecticides. All of these factors have also been affecting other birds like other swallows, swifts, nightjars, and flycatchers. In view of this, there are many questions affecting the health of the air, or aeroecology, another ecological system.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow and the Birds of Southeast Arizona:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2018/05/birding-on-shoestring-american.html
Northern Rough-winged Swallow and the Birds of Boomer Lake:
https://debhirt.blogspot.com/2017/04/springs-migrants-have-been-dropping-in.html
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Birding On a Shoestring: The American Southwest Portrayed By Assorted Animals
Wilson's Warbler
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cinnamon Teal Pair, Male on L
White-faced Ibis Fishing
One in Front Has a Frog
Great-tailed Grackle
Male Vermilion Flycatcher
Female Vermilion Flycatcher
Female Mexican Mallard
Male Gila Woodpecker
Arriving in Tucson, AZ early in the day left a little time for birding, so we managed to
spend an afternoon at the Audubon Mason Center. Unfortunately, I was unable to get the Cactus
Wren there, but that came about a week later, which you'll see soon. This foray from April 19-May
3rd kept us on the run, sometimes rising as early as 0400 to get a jump on travel in order to be an
early birder for the early rising sun, which was at 0600 hrs. AZ does not use daylight saving time, which meant that we were usually awake two hours earlier than normal, and we were on Mountain
Time. Unfortunately, I was still on Oklahoma's daylight savings Central Time the entire trip.
The top photo of the Wilson's Warbler was at the Mason Center and the Gila Woodpecker was also seen there in the cactus scrublands.
The remaining photos were obtained on April 20th, when we drove nearly two hours south to Patagonia, which was in Santa Cruz County, where the remaining shots were taken.
There is much more to come, and I'll work on more photos tomorrow.
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