Black Saw-wing
A species of Saw-wings Scientific name : Psalidoprocne pristoptera Genus : Saw-wings
Black Saw-wing, A species of Saw-wings
Botanical name: Psalidoprocne pristoptera
Genus: Saw-wings
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Nigel Voaden 
Description
The black rough-winged swallow is a small swallow at 13–15 cm length with a forked tail. Its plumage is blue-glossed black. Sexes are similar, but the female has shorter outer tail feathers, and less obvious wing serrations. Juveniles are brown with little gloss, and have short tails. There are many subspecies of this swallow, which some authorities may split into different species. In particular, four northeastern races, including nominate P. p. pristoptera, have conspicuous white underwing coverts (all other subspecies are green-glossed and have completely dark underwings), and may be split as the eastern rough-winged swallow or eastern saw-wing (swallow), P. orientalis. This leaves P. p. holomelaena as the black rough-winged swallow, P. holomelaena. Other subspecies are also sometimes elevated to species status, but Turner and Rose take the view that all the races of the black rough-winged swallow are, at best, incipient species. 
Size
13 cm
Nest Placement
Cliff
Feeding Habits
Black Saw-wing primarily eats beetles, flies, and hymenopterans like ants. It forages alone or in groups, flying weakly and fluttering, often from canopy to ground, particularly at dawn and dusk.
Habitat
The black Saw-wing predominantly inhabits savannas, woodlands, and bush areas, as well as forests, especially near river valleys. These birds are often found in proximity to human settlements such as villages and within agricultural landscapes like plantations. A preference for areas close to water bodies is observed. Black Saw-wing tend to forage in open areas such as clearings, forest edges, and above water surfaces, adapting to a variety of vegetated environments.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
Black rough-winged swallows are usually seen in pairs or small groups hunting for flying insects in woodland clearings and edges, above forest, or over water. Their flight is weak and fluttering. It is a quiet species, but it gives a soft chrrp alarm call. There is also a contact call described for as chirr chirr cheeeu for P. p. holomelaena and tseeu tseu tsss-ip for orientalis.
Distribution Area
The black rough-winged swallow breeds in open wooded habitats, and has a preference for wetter areas, although some races occur in mountain grassland habitat. It breeds across Africa from eastern Nigeria and Ethiopia south to Angola, northern Zimbabwe and northern Mozambique. The subspecies P. p. holomelaena breeds down south-eastern Africa from southern Mozambique to the Cape in South Africa. This species is mainly resident, apart from seasonal local or altitudinal movements, but P. p. holomelaena is migratory, spending the southern winter north of the breeding range. The nominate race P. p. pristoptera of the mountains of northern Ethiopia moves south after breeding.
Photo By Nigel Voaden 
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Swallows Genus
Saw-wings Species
Black Saw-wing 
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