The Red-winged Blackbird (RWBL) is about 8-3/4" long. They are well known by the male’s orange-red shoulder patches with yellow lower edge. The females are brown above and heavily streaked below, with a buffy-to-whitish eyebrow and a sharp pointed bill.

The Vaux’s Swift (VASW) is about 4.75” long with a wingspan 12” and a weight of 0.6 oz. (17g). The genus name Chaetura (kee-TOO-rah) is Latin from the Greek chaite, stiff hair, bristle, or spine, and oura, tail: spine-tailed. 

Species name is from Latin, red-backed, an allusion to the rump. A squarish tail and "buffy rump" distinguish this swallow from others in our area. Most have a dark chestnut and blackish throat with a pale forehead.