Sand Martin, Riparia riparia - a photo on Flickriver

Sand Martin, Riparia riparia

            ‘Home sweet home’. All the way from Africa to excavate a hole in a sand bank and build its nest. a Sand Martin caught here at the entrance to its nest burrow. I photographed this bird in Northumberland, UK.

Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.

The tiny, brown-and-white sand martin is a common summer visitor to the UK, nesting in colonies on rivers, lakes and flooded gravel pits. It returns to Africa in winter.

Species information

Category: Swallows, swift, martins and nightjar

Statistics

Length: 12cm
Wingspan: 28cm
Weight: 14g

Average lifespan: 2 years

Conservation status
Classified in the UK as Green under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015).

When to see March to October

About
The sand martin is a common summer visitor to the UK, arriving in March and leaving in October. It nests in colonies, digging burrows in steep, sandy cliffs, usually around water, and is commonly found on wetland sites. The tunnels it bores can be up to a metre in length! At a chamber at the end of the burrow, four or five eggs are laid on collected straw and feathers. Sand martins are sociable birds and will nest together in summer and gather to roost in large numbers in autumn; eventually they migrate to Africa to spend the winter.

How to identify
Our smallest swallow, the sand martin is brown above and white below, with a brown band across its breast and a short, forked tail.

Distribution: Widespread.

Habitats: Freshwater

Did you know?
In North America, the sand martin is known as the 'bank swallow' because of its nesting habits. Its Latin name also means 'bank'. In India, it is known as the 'collared sand martin'. WT Notes

Taken on: June 15, 2021

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Northumberland

Sand Martin

Riparia riparia « less

Sets appears in: • Sand Martin

Stats: 765 views / 12 comments

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