The sand martin (Riparia riparia), also known as the collared sand martin or common sand martin, and in the Americas as the bank swallow, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole Holarctic area, from Europe, across Asia to the Pacific Ocean, and throughout North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, southern Asia, and South America.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, and originally named Hirundo riparia; the description consisted of the simple "H[irundo] cinerea, gula abdomineque albis" ("an ash-grey swallow, with white throat and belly") and the type locality was simply given as "Europa", The specific name means "of the riverbank"; it is derived from the Latin ripa "riverbank".

There are three or four weakly defined subspecies:

  • R. r. riparia (syn. R. r. dolgushini, R. r. innominata, R. r. kolymensis). Breeds Europe, western Asia, North America; winters Africa, South America.
  • R. r. taczanowskii. Doubtfully distinct from R. r. ijimae and often included in it. It is smaller, and has paler grey-brown upperparts and a less distinct breast band. It winters in Pakistan, southern India and Sri Lanka. Sand martins are generally found near larger bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes or even the ocean, throughout the year. by the IUCN. They are considered threatened in California, where populations exist in the Sacramento Valley

Further reading

  • Sand Martin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
  • Ageing and sexing (PDF; 1.4 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
  • Feathers of sand martin (Riparia riparia)
  • Bank swallow Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Bank swallow at Environment Canada