Birdwatching - 3076 🐦

🦉 The sand martin (Riparia riparia), also known as the bank swallow (in the Americas), collared sand martin, or common sand martin

• Riparia ripa (lat.) river bank, riparius coastal

These little swallows are real engineers and earthmovers. Unlike their urban and rural relatives, who build nests under roofs, sand martins dig holes in steep sandy river banks. And not alone - in whole colonies, so that the slope consists of a dozen neat holes.

Interestingly, their nests are just tunnels up to a meter long, at the end of which lies a modest bedding of feathers and grass. Practical, because a predator won't get there, and the rain won't flood them.

By the way, they are often confused with other swallows, but it's easy to tell them apart. Sand martins are the smallest, with a brown back and a clear white stripe across the chest. And if you look closely, they have short forked tails.