Northern Rough-winged Swallow in September

September is the peak of fall migration. Huge numbers of birds move south on cold fronts, mixed flocks form, and summer residents slip away almost unnoticed. Young birds making their first migration appear in places the species rarely visits.

For the Northern Rough-winged Swallow specifically, September is a fall month of relative routine, with the species settled into its seasonal pattern across its range. Across the 55 states and provinces where northern rough-winged swallows occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.

Southern states

absent

Mid-latitudes

mostly absent (migration only)

Northern states & Canada

absent

In September, northern rough-winged swallows are absent in the South, mostly absent (migration only) across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.

Northern rough-winged swallows are not nesting in September. The season runs April–July at mid-latitudes.

Outside the nesting season, northern rough-winged swallows put their energy into feeding and flocking rather than territory and young — which is exactly what makes them easier to watch and attract this month.

• Flies, midges, beetles and winged ants

Nests in drainpipes, culverts and bank holes rather than colonies; often the first swallow over a pond.

Migrants passing through may stop at feeders for a day and never return — September rewards watching closely. Natural seed and fruit crops are abundant, so feeder traffic can be uneven.

Full Northern Rough-winged Swallow diet guide → · Best feeder for northern rough-winged swallows →

Northern rough-winged swallows are settled and predictable in September, which makes this a good month to learn the bird's routine — same feeders, same perches, same times of day.

The state guides below show exactly where in your region northern rough-winged swallows are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.

AlabamaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitoba