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 cinerea, gula abdomineque albis" ("an ash-grey swallow, with white throat and belly") and the type locality was simply given as "Europa", subsequently refined to refer to Linnaeus's homeland of Sweden. 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. Breeds eastern mainland Asia; winters southern Asia.
R. r. ijimae. Breeds Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, and Japan; winters southeast Asia.
R. r. shelleyi (syn. R. r. eilata). Slightly smaller and paler than R. r. riparia. Breeds Egypt, on passage in southern Israel; wintering area not reported, presumably Africa.
The pale martin (Riparia diluta) of northern India and southeastern China was formerly sometimes included as another subspecies of sand martin. It is smaller, and has paler grey-brown upperparts and a less distinct breast band. It winters in Pakistan, southern India and Sri Lanka.
Description
The sand martin is brown above, white below with a narrow brown band on the breast; the bill is black, the legs brown. The young have rufous tips to the coverts and margins to the...
