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Description |
Geographic Range [top]
Countries occurrence:
Native:
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola (Angola); Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia (Armenia); Aruba; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bermuda; Bhutan; Bolivia, Plurinational States of; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Cape Verde; Cayman Islands; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Costa Rica; Côte dIvoire; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; French Guiana; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Guadeloupe; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic Peoples Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao Peoples Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Liberia; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Malta; Martinique; Mauritania; Mexico; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Montserrat; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; Norway; Oman; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia (Serbia); Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Spain; Sudan; Suriname; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Turks and Caicos Islands; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States (Georgia); Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of; Viet Nam; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Vagrant:
Brunei Darussalam; Comoros; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); Faroe Islands; Indonesia; Lesotho; Maldives; Seychelles; Sri Lanka
Additional data:
? Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO): Unknown
? Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): No ? Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) - km2: 101000000
? Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO): Unknown ? Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): No
? Continuing decline in number of locations: Unknown
? Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations: No
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
Population [top]
Population: The European population is estimated at 3,640,000-8,000,000 pairs, which equates to 7,280,000-16,000,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). Therefore it is likely that the global population falls in the band 10,000,000-500,000,000 mature individuals. National population estimates include: c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in China; c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and < c.50 wintering individuals in Japan, and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009).
Trend Justification: This species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant decrease over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). The European population trend is unknown (BirdLife International 2015).
Current Population Trend: Decreasing
Additional data:
? Number of mature individuals: 10000000-500000000 ? Continuing decline of mature individuals: Unknown
? Extreme fluctuations: No ? Population severely fragmented: No
? Continuing decline in subpopulations: Unknown
? Extreme fluctuations in subpopulations: No ? All individuals in one subpopulation: No
Habitat and Ecology [top]
Habitat and Ecology: The species nests colonially in newly eroded banks of rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and coastal cliffs (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004). Quarries are important nesting sites (Tucker and Heath 1994) and birds may use other man-made habitats including road and railway cuttings and building work excavations. Suitability of breeding sites depends on erosion which both creates new sites and destroys old ones (Turner 2004). Breeding occurs between late April and August usually with two clutches of between three and six eggs. Burrows are excavated by both male and female but male initiates the process. Erosion at breeding sites is vital for creating new nest sites which birds prefer. Sand martins may roost in reedbeds. They forage approximately 15 m above ground (Turner 2004) feeding mainly on insects but also taking spiders (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004). Important foraging habitats include water-bodies, grassland and farmland (Turner 2004). Urban and forested areas are less important. This species is migratory with Eurasian birds typically wintering in the Sahel zone and East Africa south to Mozambique (Tucker and Heath 1994). Breeding birds in North America migrate to South America (Turner 2004). Adult birds migrate soon after breeding. Juveniles roam over a wide area. Most adult birds return to the same breeding colony in subsequent years (Turner 2004).
Systems: Terrestrial; Freshwater
Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat: Unknown
Generation Length (years): 3.1
Movement patterns: Full Migrant
Congregatory: Congregatory (and dispersive)
Threats [top]
Major Threat(s): Breeding sites are generally ephemeral and can often be lost through human activities (e.g. flood control, erosion control on rivers). In Europe, it is often dependent on artificial breeding sites such as quarries (Turner 2004), however quarry work can adversely affect breeding, though workers often take measures to prevent this. The use of pesticides causing declines in prey species, may impact the species (Tucker and Heath 1994). In the past droughts in wintering areas have caused severe large-scale population declines in western Europe (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004).
Conservation Actions [top]
Conservation Actions: Conservation Actions Underway
Bern Convention Appendix II. In the U.K. the species is legally protected from disturbance during the working of quarries (Tucker and Heath 1994) and is included in several local Biodiversity Action Plans.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Due to the impermanent nature of breeding sites for the species the artificial sites should be created and old quarry sites should be acquired and protected in order to secure nesting areas. Flood alteration schemes should also be managed to provide breeding areas (Tucker and Heath 1994). Research should be undertaken in order to find out more on its distribution, habitats and behaviour during winter and on migration (Garrison 1999) as should monitoring of populations where possible. Reducing pesticide use is also likely to increase prey items for this species.
Citation: BirdLife International. 2016. Riparia riparia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T103815961A87438023. Downloaded on 12 December 2016.
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