The Bank Swallow

A summer visitor to the Connecticut River will almost certainly encounter the Bank Swallow, Riparia riparia. This graceful, brown and white swallow is usually observed on the wing, in aerial pursuit of the flying insects that are its dietary mainstay. The Bank Swallow's colonial nest sites, which may house dozens or even hundreds of birds, are also quite conspicuous. Nests are built in chambers at the ends of three-foot-long burrows, each excavated by a mated pair. The openings to these burrows form an impressive array of holes in suitably steep riverbanks (and also in gravel pits, seaside cliffs, and other similar habitats). Each bird in a colony is able to locate its own burrow from memory, but after the young fledge (at the age of 18 or 19 days), the adults avoid feeding the wrong offspring by recognizing the distinctive vocalizations of their own brood.

We tend to think of the Bank Swallow as one of "our" birds, but most of its life is actually spent elsewhere. Bank Swallows arrive in the Connecticut Valley in early May and remain here only long enough to breed and build up enough body fat for their migratory journey. By late August, the birds have deserted their nest colonies and begun to gather in large flocks. By early September, they're gone; en route to their non-breeding homes in South America, where they venture as far south as northern Argentina and Chile.

If you spend some time on the Connecticut and get to know the Bank Swallow, you'll have a familiar avian friend pretty much anywhere you may go. Bank Swallows are quite cosmopolitan. They breed over all of the U. S. and Canada (except for the Deep South) as well as in most of Europe (where they go by the name Sand Martin) and northern Asia. During our winter, Bank Swallows range over most of South America (especially east of the Andes), as well as Africa and southern Asia.