Instead it forages holes. These songbirds feed on flying insects and measure approximately 12 to 14 centimetres in length. Wiki User August 18, 2013 6:30PM. Glistening cobalt blue above and tawny below, Barn Swallows dart gracefully over fields, barnyards, and open water in search of flying insect prey. Bank swallows are gregarious, living and breeding in colonies. The recently released 2014 State of the Birds Report lists the Bank Swallow as one of the common birds in steep decline. It is distinguishable in flight from other swallows by its quick, erratic wing beats and its almost constant buzzy, chattering vocalizations. The Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) is North America’s smallest swallow.It can be distinguish from the Northern Rough-winged Swallow by its dark breast band and the white of the throat curling up behind its ear. The smallest of our swallows, the Bank Swallow is usually seen in flocks, flying low over ponds and rivers with quick, fluttery wingbeats. Look for the long, deeply forked tail that streams out behind this agile flyer and sets it apart from all other North American swallows. Distribution . It nests in colonies ranging from 10 to almost 2,000 active nests. In the Summer they live in all the US and the Southern half of Canada. Barn Swallows often cruise low, flying just a few inches above the ground or water. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterraneancountries and across the Palearctic to the Pacific Ocean. The Bank Swallow's scientific name - Riparia riparia - aptly describes its affinity for nesting in the streamside (riparian) banks and bluffs of rivers and streams. Some of these colonies are quite large, and a tall cut bank may be pockmarked with several hundred holes. The bank swallow are considered to be “among the more basally branching (primitive) groups of swallows”, compared with those that build nests (Garrison 1999). What does it look like? The sand martin (Riparia riparia) or European sand martin, bank swallow in the Americas, and collared sand martin in India, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. The Bank Swallow is a small insectivorous songbird with brown upperparts, white underparts and a distinctive dark breast band. Unlike some others, Bank Swallows dig tunnels for their nests. Violet-Green Swallow – The Violet-Green species ar3e incredibly beautiful little birds. Bank swallows, the smallest swallow in North America, are aerial insectivores. The bank swallow has a unique distinguishing characteristic in that it is the only swallow that does not build a nest. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterraneancountries and across the Palearctic to the Pacific Ocean. Click on photos for full sized images. Bank Swallow – The this species is one of the smallest in the family. The species is highly social at all times of year and is conspicuous at colonial breeding sites where it excavates nesting burrows in eroding vertical banks. The svelte and speedy little Bank Swallow zips through the air with quick twists and buzzy wingbeats. This species is a highly social land-bird with a Holarctic breeding distribution. swallows by its quick, erratic wing beats and its almost constant buzzy, chattering vocalizations. The sand martin (Riparia riparia) or European sand martin, bank swallow in the Americas, and collared sand martin in India, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. Look for them in chattering nesting colonies dug into the sides of sandy cliffs or banks, or pick them out of mixed swallow flocks as they catch insects over the water. Bank swallows that live in larger colonies are more successful at detecting and defending against predators, but they also have more parasites. Prepared by: ... Fragmentation as defined as the breaking up of intact, homogeneous blocks of habitat does not readily apply to the Bank Swallow for its California breeding habitats. It is a Holarctic species also found in North America. Top Answer. BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia) Photo by James Gallagher, Sea and Sage Audubon . In winter the fly South to South America. Amongst the species where the male helps with incubation the contribution varies amongst species, with some species like the cliff swallow sharing the duties equally and the female doing most of the work in others. Where does the Barn Swallow live? As strange as it may seem, this little bird digs its own burrow! The Bank Swallow has an extensive distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. The bird is brown on top and white underneath, with a tiny bill and long wings.