The sand martin (Riparia riparia), also known as the collared sand martin or bank swallow, is a migratory bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It has a wide summer range across the Holarctic, including Europe, Asia, and North America, wintering in eastern and southern Africa, southern Asia, and South America.
This small bird is brown above with a white underside and a narrow brown breast band. It measures 12–13 cm in length and has a wingspan of 26.5–29 cm. Its call is a gravelly twitter when in flight, turning into a softer tone when settled. Sand martins prefer nesting in sandy or gravelly banks near water, often forming colonies of many pairs.
Breeding begins in mid-late May, with four to five white eggs in a burrow they dig. Globally, the species is classified as of least concern, though it faces threats from habitat loss. In Canada, it is federally listed as Threatened, with significant population declines noted in recent decades.
