Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Rough-winged Swallow sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 236th most-seen of the 344 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park?

May. In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

Between 7 and 10 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Rough-winged Swallow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

55th of 78. Of the 78 parks where we can rate Northern Rough-winged Swallow sightings, Piedras Blancas National Park ranks 55th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tikal National Park (Guatemala, about 40%), Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 40%) and Cañón del Sumidero National Park (Mexico, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Northern Rough-winged Swallow sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Northern Rough-winged Swallow is recorded against all the birds logged in Piedras Blancas National Park (48 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
GenusStelgidopteryx (Rough-winged Swallows)
SpeciesStelgidopteryx serripennis (Northern Rough-winged Swallow)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Piedras Blancas National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

48 Verified sightings at Piedras Blancas National Park From 2019 to 2026

15,150 In all 78 parks

May Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Northern Rough-winged Swallow

The northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) is a small, migratory swallow. It is very similar to the southern rough-winged swallow, Stelgidopteryx ruficollis. The genus name, Stelgidopteryx, is from Ancient Greek and means "scraper wing" and the species name, serripennis, is derived from Latin and means "saw feather". In the common name, "rough-winged" refers to the serrated edge feathers on the wing of this bird; this feature would only be apparent when holding this bird.

Six subspecies of the northern rough-winged swallow are currently recognized. Stelgidopteryx serripennis serripennis is the nominate subspecies and can be found to occur in southern Alaska and Canada to the southern United States. They are found to usually winter in southern Florida and from southwestern Mexico to Panama. It was described by Audubon in 1838.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis psammochrous was described by Ludlow Griscom in 1929. It breeds in the southwestern US and winters from central Mexico to Panama. It can be differentiated from the nominate race by being paler, especially on the crown and rump.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis fulvipennis is... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:41

Mexico · 2023

Call0:22

United States · 2020

Song0:09

United States · 2020

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it lives

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~40%
2	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
3	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
4	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
5	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
6	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
7	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
8	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
9	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
11	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
12	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
13	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
14	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
16	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
17	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
18	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
19	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
20	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
21	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
22	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
23	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
24	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
25	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
26	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
27	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
28	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
29	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
30	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
31	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
32	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
33	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
34	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
36	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
37	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
38	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
39	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
40	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
41	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
42	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
43	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
44	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
45	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
46	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
47	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
48	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
49	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
50	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
52	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
53	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
54	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
55	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
56	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
57	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
58	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
59	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
60	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
61	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	<5%
62	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
63	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
64	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
65	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
66	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
67	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
68	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
69	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
70	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
71	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
72	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
73	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
74	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
75	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
76	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
77	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
78	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Mesa	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
2	Tegucigalpa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
3	León	🇲🇽 México	~20%
4	Monterrey	🇲🇽 México	~20%
5	Ciudad Juárez	🇲🇽 México	~20%
6	Chicago	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
7	Guatemala City	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~20%
8	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
9	San Luis Potosí	🇲🇽 México	~20%
10	Phoenix	🇺🇸 United States	~10%

Closest Relatives at Piedras Blancas National Park

Stelgidopteryx ruficollis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Progne chalybea

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Hirundo rustica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tachycineta albilinea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Riparia riparia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ramphocelus passerinii

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Sporophila corvina

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Cantorchilus semibadius

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Arremonops conirostris

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Rough-winged Swallow sighting in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 236th most-seen of the 344 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park?

May

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Rough-winged Swallow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

55th of 78

Of the 78 parks where we can rate Northern Rough-winged Swallow sightings, Piedras Blancas National Park ranks 55th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tikal National Park (Guatemala, about 40%), Lago de Yojoa (Honduras, about 40%) and Cañón del Sumidero National Park (Mexico, about 30%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Northern Rough-winged Swallow sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Northern Rough-winged Swallow is recorded against all the birds logged in Piedras Blancas National Park (48 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Piedras Blancas National Park

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

About the Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Sounds

Recent sightings of Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Closest Relatives at Piedras Blancas National Park

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Gray-breasted Martin

Barn Swallow

Mangrove Swallow

Bank Swallow

Scarlet-rumped Tanager

Variable Seedeater

Tropical Kingbird

Great Kiskadee

Riverside Wren

Social Flycatcher

Black-striped Sparrow

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park?

When is the best time to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in Piedras Blancas National Park?

What time of day is best to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

Is Piedras Blancas National Park the best place to see a Northern Rough-winged Swallow?

Where does the Northern Rough-winged Swallow sighting chance come from?