Sand Martin

Latin Name: 
Riparia riparia
Size: 
13cm
Description: 

Small, dark brown swallow, almost always found near water; upperparts dark brown, wing edges slightly darker, with white throat, half collar and belly contrasting sharply with clearly marked dark brown breast band; clearly forked tail; distinguished from Plain by white throat and half collar distinctly demarcated from dark ear coverts and breast band; gregarious; always with other swallows and swifts; hunts aerially with smallbilled, wide-gaped mouth over water; perches on exposed overhead wires or branches.

Habitat: 
Steep-sided, sandy or muddy river banks; large lowland waterbodies.
Food: 
Winged insects
Distribution: 
E Nepal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Winter visitor to Bangladesh
Call: 
Call Description: 
Rasping call; twittering song.
National Status: