- Riparia diluta
Identification
12 cm (4¾ in)
- Pale greyish-brown upperparts
- Darker brown remiges and rectrices
- Whitish underparts
- Pale brown breast band
- Shallowly forked tail
Distribution
India and central and eastern Asia.
Taxonomy
This species was recently split from Sand Martin.
Subspecies
There are six subspecies[1]:
- R. d. gavrilovi:
- Central Siberia to River Lena, south to Altai and Tuva Republic
- R. d. transbaykalica:
- Transbaikalia
- R. d. diluta:
- R. d. indica:
- R. d. fohkienensis:
- Central and eastern China
- R. d. tibetana:
- South-west China (Xizang-Qinghai plateau)
Habitat
Open country, usually near water, in areas of sympatry with Sand Martin.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet is not fully know, presumably insects caught in flight. The are usually seen feeding in groups and often with other hirundine and swift species.
Breeding
They breed in colonies. The nest is at the end of a burrow in a bank.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pale Sand Martin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pale_Sand_Martin