Bird Album
Black Saw-wing
Psalidoprocne pristoptera (Rüppell, 1840)
10 gWeight
The black saw-wing (Psalidoprocne pristoptera), also known as the blue saw-wing or black rough-winged swallow, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.
Busiest months: July and October–November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Uganda
Where and when it's recorded
Black Saw-wing has been recorded at 286 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kirstenbosch Botanical GardenSouth Africa939 records
- Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya866 records
- Nairobi NPKenya641 records
More places
- Harold Porter Botanical GardensSouth Africa576 records
- Arusha NPTanzania547 records
- Bwindi-Impenetrable NP – RuhijaUganda520 records
- Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya372 records
- Lake Nakuru NPKenya362 records
- Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – BuhomaUganda293 records
- St Lucia – iGwalagwala TrailSouth Africa293 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black saw-wing (Psalidoprocne pristoptera), also known as the blue saw-wing or black rough-winged swallow, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black Saw-wing?
The Black Saw-wing weighs around 10 g.
Where does the Black Saw-wing live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
When is the best time to see the Black Saw-wing?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Black Saw-wing endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Saw-wing as Least Concern.
What does the Black Saw-wing eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Black Saw-wing in?
It belongs to the family Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 10 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 106 mm
- Tail
- 80 mm
- Bill
- 10 mm
- Tarsus
- 9 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Swallows, Martins Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Psalidoprocne
Other birds in the genus Psalidoprocne
Square-tailed Saw-wingPsalidoprocne nitens
White-headed Saw-wingPsalidoprocne albiceps
Mountain Saw-wingPsalidoprocne fuliginosa
Fanti Saw-wingPsalidoprocne obscura
African River MartinPseudochelidon eurystomina
White-eyed River MartinPseudochelidon sirintarae
Grey-rumped SwallowPseudhirundo griseopyga
White-backed SwallowCheramoeca leucosterna
Mascarene MartinPhedina borbonica
Banded MartinNeophedina cincta
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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