# Northern Rough-winged Swallow

*Stelgidopteryx serripennis*

The outer wing feathers of males have tiny hooks that feel like a file, giving them their 'rough-winged' name.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Hirundinidae › Stelgidopteryx
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Riverbanks, lakeshores, and coastal cliffs near open water.
- **Diet:** Aerial insects including flies, beetles, and winged ants.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, Mexico
- **Size:** 12-14 cm long, wingspan of 27-30 cm
- **Lifespan:** 2-6 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use reducing prey availability and habitat destruction of riparian zones.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These birds are sensitive to nesting disturbance; maintain a 15-meter distance from dirt banks where they burrow. If an injured bird is found, contact a licensed avian rehabilitator; do not attempt to feed it.

## About

The northern rough-winged swallow ( Stelgidopteryx serripennis ) is a small, migratory swallow. It is very similar to the southern rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx ruficollis .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/72f4612b-cfad-4002-8e11-0a6a7893da4f
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/11970
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelgidopteryx serripennis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/33087057/medium.jpg (no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.