BIRDS OF AMERICA 



made use of banks of sawdust!), and tlif bird 

 uses both its bill and its claws in the tunneling 

 operation. As such embanktnents commonly are 

 the result of the action of water, these Swallows 

 are likely to be seen in the neighborhood of 

 rivers or ponds, though they may utilize the 

 perpendicular surfaces of a brick-yard or of any 

 other excavation left open to the sky, even com- 

 paratively narrow railroad cuts. However, they 

 seldom show so decided a liking for human 

 society as is manifested by the Barn and Eave 

 Swallows and their relative, the Chimney Swift. 

 The once quite prevalent theory tliat the Bank- 

 Swallows hibernate in their burrows during the 

 winter luonths is, of course, preposterous. 



The food of the Bank Swallow does not differ 

 appreciably from that of the Tree .Swallow with 

 which it often associates. 



Fhoto by U. K. .lub Courtesy of Outmg Pub. Co. 



BANK SWALLOW AT NEST 



A hole in a gravel bank 



ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 



Stelgidopteryx serripennis { Aiidithnn) 



A. O. U. Number 617 Sec 1 olor I'late S8 



Other Names. — Bridge Swallow ; Rough-wing. 



General Description. — Length, 5)4 inches. Plum- 

 age, grayish-brown, |ialer below. Bill, much depressed 

 and moderately broad ; tail, about J<2 length of wing, 

 slightly notched. Adult male with barbs of outer web 

 of outermost primary stiffened and abruptly recurved 

 at tip, causing a file-like roughness when the finger is 

 drawn along the quill from base toward tip. 



Color. — Adults: Above, including sides of head and 

 neck, plain grayish-brown of very nearly uniform tone 

 throughout, but crown slightly darker than rump; chin, 

 throat, chest, sides, and flanks, plain pale grayish hair- 

 brozvn or brownish-gray, the chin and throat usually 

 somewhat paler than chest and sides; rest of under 

 parts, white; iris, brown. Young: Similar to adults, 

 but upper parts washed or overlaid by pale cinnamon or 

 fawn color ; chin, throat, and chest tinged witli paler 

 cinnamon or fawn color. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest : Located in a burrow in a 

 sand bank, usually excavated by the birds themselves, 

 wide enough to admit a man's arm, and somewhat 

 broader than high, and from 3 to 5 feet long ; large 

 and bulky and usually composed of sticks, weed stalks, 

 grass, and leaves. Eggs : 3 to 7. commonly 4 to 6. 

 white. 



Distribution. — Temperate North America, Mexico, 

 and Central America as far as Costa Rica; breeding 

 north to Connecticut, central Massachusetts, south- 

 eastern New York. Ontario, northern Indiana, southern 

 Wisconsin, southern Minnesota, North Dakota. Mon- 

 tana, and British Columbia, south to Georgia. Louisi- 

 ana. Texas, etc.. and over greater part of Mexico, as 

 far as State of Vera Cruz ; casual northward to 

 northern Michigan and Manitoba ; in winter southward 

 through Central America to Costa Rica, occasionally 

 wintering on coast of South Carolina. 



ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW AND ITS YOUNG 



of Outing Pub Co. 



