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Bank Swallow

Riparia ripariaOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Swallows (Hirundinidae)

Bank Swallow Portrait
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General

Bank Swallow: Small swallow with brown upperparts, white underparts that curl up onto throat, and brown breast band. Tail is notched. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has faint wing-bars and a grizzled appearance on head.

Range and Habitat

Bank Swallow: Breed from Alaska across northern Canada south to California, Texas, and Virginia. Spends winters in the tropics and the Old World. Preferred habitats include riverbanks, creeks, seashores, and lakes.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"pret", "trit-trit"

Interesting Facts

  • The scientific name of the Bank Swallow, Riparia, means “riverbank.”
  • This species originally nested in the steep, sandy banks of rivers but have adapted to using many different man-made excavations.
  • Most pairs in breeding colonies lay their eggs at the same time so that they will be feeding nestlings at the same time. This means there will be a large number of adults searching for swarms of insects, which makes it more likely they will find them.
  • A group of bank swallows are known collectively as a "foreclosure" of swallows.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Bank Swallow
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Riparia riparia
Length4.75 Inches
Wingspan10.5 Inches

Bank Swallow

Bank Swallow: Small swallow with brown upperparts, and a brown breast band seperating white underparts from white throat and chin. Tail is notched. Brown legs, feet. The smallest North American swallow. Swift, erratic flight, alternating several shallow, rapid wing beats with short to long glides.

● Song: "pret", "trit-trit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bank Swallow: Feeds mostly on flying insects such as termites, treehoppers, leafhoppers, beetles, moths, and flies that it captures on the wing. Occasionally preys upon spiders or ants if there is a scarcity of aerial prey; forages singly or in flocks.

● Breeding & nesting: Bank Swallow: Three to seven white eggs are laid in a grass and feather nest in a chamber at the end of a deep tunnel, usually near the top of a steep bank. Nests in colonies; nesting banks may sometimes appear riddled with holes. Incubation ranges from 14 to 16 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Bank Swallow: Northern Rough-winged and immature Tree swallows are generally larger and lack dark breast band.

Flight Pattern

Swift erratic fluttering flight on shallow wing beats.
Bank Swallow Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Bank Swallow: Breed from Alaska across northern Canada south to California, Texas, and Virginia. Spends winters in the tropics and the Old World. Preferred habitats include riverbanks, creeks, seashores, and lakes.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationWidespread
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.5 Ounces