Northern Rough-winged Swallow - The Lost Sierra Forrest

New bird species #13 for 2022, Northern Rough-winged Swallow. First hawk for the summer season. California Mule Deer buck in velvet.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow’s plain brown back and dusky throat doesn’t stand out, allowing it to sometimes go unnoticed in flocks of brighter swallow species. This common summer visitor flies low over water snatching insects in midair and rests on wires, posts, and exposed branches. It nests in burrows excavated by other birds and mammals, and spends the winters in Mexico and Central America. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow gets its name from minuscule hooks on the leading edge of their primary feathers. Running a finger along the edge of the feather from base to the tip feels like touching a rough file. The genus name of the Northern Rough-winged Swallow is Stelgidopteryx, which means “scraper wing”; the species name, serripennis, means “saw feather.” Source: The Cornell Lab, All About Birds.

Red-tailed Hawk