Southern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis)

Identification & Behavior: ~13 cm (5.1 in). The Southern Rough-winged Swallow has brown upperparts with a pale brown rump. The throat is rufous and grades to a brownish breast and underparts with a white center of the belly. The wing covers are fringed with brown giving the impression of having wing bars. The tail is square. It appears to prefer rivers but also forages over a variety of other habitats. It is similar to the Barn Swallow but has a brown back, pale center of the belly, and square tail.

Status: The Southern Rough-winged Swallow is uncommon and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1,200 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in the humid and semideciduous forests in extreme northwest Peru in Tumbes. The Southern Rough-winged Swallow also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Golondrina Ala-Rasposa Sureña..

Sub-species: Southern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis uropygialis), (Lawrence), 1863.  Caribbean lowlands S from E Honduras, Pacific lowlands of E Panama, W Colombia, Ecuador and NW Peru.
(Stelgidopteryx ruficollis ruficollis), (Vieillot), 1817.  SE Colombia, E Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil S to E Peru, Bolivia, N & NE Argentina (S to Salta, Formosa, Entre Ríos and N Buenos Aires) and Uruguay.

Meaning of Name: Stelgidopteryx: Gr. stelgis, stelgidos, strigil= scraper and pterux, pterugos= wing. ruficollis: L. rufus= red, ruddy, rufous and collis, collum= neck, necked, throated.

See more of the Family Hirundinidae