BREEDING BIRD: NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW

(Stelgidopteryx serripennis) Description: Brown, backed, whitish below; dusky wash on chin, throat and upper breast; no distinct breast band; juveniles have cinnamon wing bars. Wings are longer than those of other swallows and wing beats are deeper and slower. Function of serrated outer primary feathers (from which name is derived) is unkown-possibly to produce sounds during courtship flight. Habitat: Savanna, river banks, culberts and under bridges. Diet: Feeds entirely on insects. Displays: During courtship flight, males pursue females and displays white features at lower base of tail. Voice: A harsh trrit. Breeding bird atlas: To report bird-breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160. Note: Map is divided into five-kilometer squares so the Audobon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis. Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society;”The Birder’s Handbook”,Ehrlich, Dobkin &Wheye;,Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America, National Geographic Society(1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett & Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).