Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Seiurus noveboracensis) Richard A. Wolinski
Holland Ponds Park, Macomb Co., MI 5/28/2006 © Jerry McHale (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)
If the title of “swallow most likely to be human activity and structures likely resulted in some increase in nesting density in areas overlooked” is to be applied, the Rough-winged previously devoid of natural nest sites as the would be the swallow of choice. Easily human population expanded. Distribution is confused with the Bank Swallow due to overall therefore tied to nest site availability rather than coloration and choice of nesting sites, the more to a specific vegetative cover type or open solitary Rough-winged is often not identified water. even when observed. Familiarity with its flight call is often the best way to confirm The northernmost Michigan record reported by identification at a distance. Cook (1893) was of a dead bird on Mackinac
Island in 1890. Its distribution in the UP was The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is better understood by the 1950s, having been generally distributed across the continent reported breeding from Luce and Schoolcraft ranging into the southernmost portions of all the Counties (Wood 1951) and later observed in Canadian provinces save British Columbia, Marquette, Iron, Houghton, and Baraga where it is found well northward to southeastern Counties (Zimmerman and Van Tyne 1959). Alaska. To the south, the species is found in The species was considered a fairly common Mexico southward into northern Costa Rica, summer resident north to the Straits of western Honduras, and northwestern Nicaragua Mackinaw by Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) (DeJong 1996). and as a common summer resident and local
throughout the state by Payne (1983). The Distribution Rough-winged was considered an uncommon Before European settlement, distribution of the summer resident in the northwest portion of the species within Michigan would presumably LP (Pettingill 1974, Francke and Graf 1994) and have been widespread and local, tied to those a common summer resident in Isabella County situations where Bank Swallow and Belted (Cuthbert 1963) in the southern portion of this Kingfisher burrows were to be found in the same region. eroded banks of streams and rivers, or to crevices and crannies in rock faces that provided some overhead cover. Nesting sites afforded by
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Seiurus noveboracensis) Richard A. Wolinski
Results of MBBA I verified the general decline over the same time period, may be historical view of the species’ distribution as hidden in the statewide trend analysis and hide most robust in the southern and central LP eco-region effects on abundance. The upward decreasing northward into the UP, with more trend data conflict with the atlas block data that occupied blocks in the western UP than in the show a decrease in the number of occupied eastern UP (particularly Luce, Mackinaw, and blocks across the state more consistent with the Chippewa Counties). The general distribution Bird Conservation Region BBS analysis (Sauer of breeding records remained the same between et al. 2008). MBBA I and MBBA II, though differences were most apparent in terms of the total number of The loss of occupied atlas blocks is perhaps a occupied blocks in the northern portions of the reflection that the Rough-winged Swallow range in the northern LP and UP; though some population is reaching saturation, with the counties in the southern LP also had fewer available artificial nest sites and any increases occupied blocks. tied to an expanding Bank Swallow population. If so, more Rough-wingeds per observation may Breeding Biology be responsible for the perceived increase in Unlike the Bank Swallow that remains tied abundance as more pairs are typically associated exclusively to natural sites for nest placement, with Bank Swallow colonies (Turner and Rose the Rough-winged displays the ability to utilize 1989) or at loose colonies (DeJong 1996). This cavities afforded by human structures. These is in contrast to a situation in Ontario include bridges, dry drain pipes, and various (Sandilands 2007) where the non-significant cavities in buildings, though they can be found decline (based upon comparison of regional and investigating a wide variety of potential nest all Canadian BBS route data) may be tied to the sites, including the undersides of parked semi- distribution of the declining Bank Swallow trailers and the interiors of open garages (Kelley population. 1978). Conservation Needs Abundance and Population Trends Despite some indication that the Rough-winged (Click to view trends from the BBS) population has declined in the northernmost The Rough-winged has been expanding its portion of its range in Michigan based upon range northward for over 100 years (DeJong atlas block occupancy, there appears to be no 1996). Results of the BBS continent-wide and need for management action. for the Great Lakes Region (Robbins et al. 1986) showed a significant increase between Literature Cited 1966 and 1979; the statistically significant trend estimate from 1966-2000 for the upper Midwest Cook, A.J. 1893. Birds of Michigan, 2nd edition. is 1.2% per year (Kleen et al. 2004). The Bulletin 94. Michigan Agricultural Michigan BBS data suggest a significant Experimental Station, Lansing, MI. upward trend from 1983-2007 of 2.66%, though Cuthbert, N.L. 1963. The Birds of Isabella these data should be viewed with care. The County, Michigan. Edwards Brothers, Inc. Michigan BBS data from 1994-2003 offer a Ann Arbor, MI. comparison of routes in the UP and northern LP DeJong, M.J. 1996. Northern Rough-winged showing fewer birds/route (0.5 -1.0) than the Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis). In number of birds/route (1.0-3.0) in the southern The Birds of North America, No. 234 (A. portion of the state (Sauer et al 2008). Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North Differences in abundance compared with Bird America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Conservation Regions, which show an overall
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Seiurus noveboracensis) Richard A. Wolinski
Franke, C., and L. Graf. 1994. Birds of Wood, N.P. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. Leelanau County and Sleeping Bear Dunes MP75. University of Michigan Museum of National Lakeshore: An Annotated Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. Checklist. Leelanau Conservancy. Leland, Zimmerman, D.A., and J. Van Tyne. 1959. A MI. Distributional Checklist of the Birds of Kelley, A.H. 1978. Birds of Southeastern Michigan. OP 608. University of Michigan Michigan and Southwestern Ontario. Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. Bulletin 57. Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, MI. Suggested Citation Kleen, V.M., L. Cordle, and R.A. Montgomery. 2004. The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas. Wolinski, R.A. 2011. Northern Rough-winged Illinois Natural History Survey. Swallow (Seiurus noveboracensis). In Champaign, IL. Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Payne, R.B. 1983. A Distributional Checklist Brenneman (eds.). 2010. The Second of the Birds of Michigan. MP 164. Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo University of Michigan Museum of Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Accessed Zoology. Ann Arbor, MI. online at:
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