Brown-throated Sand Martin
Encyclopedia
The Brown-throated Sand Martin, Brown-throated Martin or Plain Martin, Riparia paludicola, is a small passerine
bird
in the swallow family. It was first formally described as Hirundo paludicola by French
ornithologist Louis Vieillot
in 1817 in his Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle.
It has a wide range in Africa
and across India
and other parts of southern Asia
. It is a partially migratory
species, with some populations making seasonal movements. It is usually associated closely with water.
The Brown-throated Sand Martin is colonial in its nesting habits, with many pairs breeding close together, according to available space. The nests are at the end of tunnels of 30 to 60 cm in length, bored in sandbanks. The actual nest is a litter of straw and feathers in a chamber at the end of the burrow. Two to four white eggs are the normal clutch, and are incubated by both parents.
Its brown back, small size and quicker, jerkier flight separate Brown-throated Sand Martin at once from most other members of the swallow family. It is most similar to the Sand Martin
, Riparia riparia , which is its northern counterpart. Where the breeding ranges overlap in southern Asia, Brown-throated Sand Martins tend to breed at lower altitudes than their relative. In the northern winter, both species are found in the same wetland habitats.
The 12 cm long Brown-throated Sand Martin is brown above and white or pale brown below. It lacks the narrow brown band on the breast shown by the Sand Martin; the bill is black and the legs are brown. Sexes are similar, but the young have pale tips to the feathers on the rump and wings.
There are seven races differing in size and the plumage tones of the upperparts or underparts.
The food of this species consists of small insect
s, mostly gnats and other flies whose early stages are aquatic.
The twittering song of Brown-throated Sand Martin is continuous when the birds are on the wing, and becomes a conversational undertone after they have settled in the roost. There is also a harsh alarm call.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the swallow family. It was first formally described as Hirundo paludicola by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
ornithologist Louis Vieillot
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot was a French ornithologist.Vieillot described a large number of birds for the first time, especially those he encountered during the time he spent in the West Indies and North America, and 26 genera established by him are still in use...
in 1817 in his Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle.
It has a wide range in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and across India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and other parts of southern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. It is a partially migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
species, with some populations making seasonal movements. It is usually associated closely with water.
The Brown-throated Sand Martin is colonial in its nesting habits, with many pairs breeding close together, according to available space. The nests are at the end of tunnels of 30 to 60 cm in length, bored in sandbanks. The actual nest is a litter of straw and feathers in a chamber at the end of the burrow. Two to four white eggs are the normal clutch, and are incubated by both parents.
Its brown back, small size and quicker, jerkier flight separate Brown-throated Sand Martin at once from most other members of the swallow family. It is most similar to the Sand Martin
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
, Riparia riparia , which is its northern counterpart. Where the breeding ranges overlap in southern Asia, Brown-throated Sand Martins tend to breed at lower altitudes than their relative. In the northern winter, both species are found in the same wetland habitats.
The 12 cm long Brown-throated Sand Martin is brown above and white or pale brown below. It lacks the narrow brown band on the breast shown by the Sand Martin; the bill is black and the legs are brown. Sexes are similar, but the young have pale tips to the feathers on the rump and wings.
There are seven races differing in size and the plumage tones of the upperparts or underparts.
- R. p. paludicola, southern Africa. White underparts.
- R. p. paludibula, western Africa. Smaller and darker above than the nominate form.
- R. p. ducis, eastern Africa. Smaller and darker above and below than the nominate subspecies.
- R. p. mauretanica, MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. Small and pale - R. p. newtoni, mountains of CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
only. Darker above than the nominate form, brownish underparts. - R. p. cowani, MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Small, greyish underparts. - R. p. chinensis, southern Asia. Pale underparts and throat.
The food of this species consists of small insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, mostly gnats and other flies whose early stages are aquatic.
The twittering song of Brown-throated Sand Martin is continuous when the birds are on the wing, and becomes a conversational undertone after they have settled in the roost. There is also a harsh alarm call.