Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae)

Southern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis) - HBW 9, p. 662

French: Hirondelle à gorge rousse German: Zimtkehlschwalbe Spanish: Golondrina Gorgirrufa
Other common names: Rough-winged Swallow (when treated as conspecific with S. serripennis)

Taxonomy: Hirundo ruficollis Vieillot, 1817, Brazil.
Formerly considered conspecific with S. serripennis, and race decolor has been regarded as intermediate between the two species, but they are separated altitudinally where ranges overlap in Costa Rica. Present species sometimes treated as monotypic, as races intergrade, also depth of plumage colour varies clinally, becoming generally darker from N to S & E. Birds from Surinam named as race cacabata, but description believed to have been based on migrants of nominate race. Four subspecies usually recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

decolor Griscom, 1929 - W Costa Rica and W Panama.
uropygialis (Lawrence, 1863) - Caribbean lowlands S from E Honduras, Pacific lowlands of E Panama, W Colombia, Ecuador and NW Peru.
aequalis Bangs, 1901 - N Colombia, W Venezuela and Trinidad.
ruficollis (Vieillot, 1817) - SE Colombia, E Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil S to E Peru, Bolivia, N & NE Argentina (S to Salta, Formosa, Entre Ríos and N Buenos Aires) and Uruguay.