Brown-throated sand martin

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Brown-throated sand martin
Brown-throated sand martin (Riparia p. Paludicola)

Brown-throated sand martin ( Riparia p. Paludicola )

Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Family : Swallows (Hirundinidae)
Subfamily : Hirundininae
Genre : Sand martin ( Riparia )
Type : Brown-throated sand martin
Scientific name
Riparia paludicola
( Vieillot , 1817)

The brown-throated sand martin ( Riparia paludicola ) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family . It was described in 1817 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in his work Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle . He called it Hirundo paludicola and classified it as a subspecies of the gray-throated sand martin ( R. chinensis ) found in Asia .

Appearance

With a body length of around 11–12 cm, the species lies in the middle between its European / North American (R. riparia / sand martin , 12–13 cm) and Asian sister species ( R. chinensis / gray-throated sand martin, 10–11 cm). The wings are relatively long and have a wingspan of 26-27 cm. The tail is rather narrow and short. The plumage is olive to brown in color, wings and tail feathers usually appear darker. An external sexual dimorphism cannot be seen. Due to its widespread non-networked population, the species shows great variability in size and color. This results in a division into a total of seven subspecies:

  • R. p. paludicola ( Vieillot , 1817), nominate form , South Africa : white abdominal area
  • R. p. paludibula ( Rüppell , 1835), western Africa: smaller, upper body parts darker
  • R. p. ducis Reichenow , 1908, Eastern Africa. smaller, darker lower part
  • R. p. mauretanica ( Meade-Waldo , 1901), Morocco . quite small, paler in color
  • R. p. newtoni Bannerman , 1937, Cameroon Mountains. darker tops, brownish abdominal area
  • R. p. cowani , Madagascar . small, grayish belly
  • R. p. schoensis Reichenow , 1920, Ethiopian highlands
  • R. p. minor ( Cabanis , 1851), Senegal , Gambia , Sudan and Ethiopia

Common to all subspecies is the brownish throat area, through which they can be easily distinguished from the related species on other continents. The weight varies, depending on the subspecies, between 8 and 17 grams.

Distribution area of ​​the brown-throated sand martin (green)
Clutch
Riparia p. paludicola hunting (Marievale Nature Reserve, Gauteng , South Africa )

Distribution and habitat

The brown-throated sand martin can be found on the African continent south of the Sahara and in Morocco . While some subspecies (e.g. R. p. Mauretanica) live locally, most of the southern populations are partial migrants who either only partially overwinter in warmer regions or only migrate slightly as a whole.

The two-part epithet paludicola comes from Latin and means palus ("swamp", "lake", "morass") and -cola ("admirer"). As a rule, the animals live strongly water-bound near rivers and lakes.

Reproduction

In Riparia paludicola is monogamous colony breeders. As a rule 6–12 breeding pairs cluster together. Each pair creates an approximately 30–80 cm long, slightly sloping brood tube with a transverse oval approach in the sandy steep walls along rivers. The building ends in a rounded, widened chamber, in the middle of which is a pile of grass, feathers and other materials as a breeding ground. When the opportunity arises, the animals also use and expand old structures. The breeding season differs depending on the subspecies and climatic conditions, for example, depends on the local dry and rainy seasons. The female lays 2–4 white eggs and the breeding season is about 12 days. According to observations from Kenya, the young leave the nest after about 25 days. Until then, both partners take care of feeding and rearing equally.

nutrition

Diet and hunting methods largely correspond to those of their European counterparts . When they fly just above the surface of the water, they prey on small insects, which are their sole food source. Drinking and bathing are also done in this way. Flies, ants, grasshoppers, small beetles and termites are also part of the prey pattern in the air and on the ground in the grasslands .

Like the sand martin, Riparia paludicola accommodates its physique, which is rather untypical for swallows. The shorter tail and large wingspan enable faster, more agile flight behavior.

Duration

Exact numbers are not known. Due to the frequency of sightings, however, according to the World Conservation Union (UICN), there does not appear to be any criterion for classification as endangered :

  • The distribution area of ​​around 27,400,000 km 2 is sufficiently large (condition <20,000 km 2 ). In addition, it is not an endemic species.
  • Although the population is estimated to be decreasing, it cannot be expected to decrease by more than 30% in the next ten years (three generations).
  • The population is probably well over 10,000 breeding pairs.

For the time being, more precise information about the stocks is not to be expected, since according to the UICN no systematic recording is in progress. What is certain, however, is that the sub-populations of largely all subspecies exist in protected areas.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Vieillot, Louis Jean Pierre (1817): Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle nouvelle édition, 14 , 511.
  2. ^ The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved January 15, 2020 .
  3. ↑ The sand martin - NABU. Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Asian Plain Martin (Riparia chinensis). Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e Plain Martin | Birds @ IITK. Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  6. ↑ a b c d e f African Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola). Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  7. ^ Linnean Society of London: The Journal of the Linnean Society of London: Zoology . Academic Press, 1883, p. 322.
  8. ^ Linnean Society of London: The Journal of the Linnean Society of London: Zoology . Academic Press, 1883, p. 322.
  9. ↑ African Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola). Retrieved January 12, 2020 .
  10. ^ African Plain Martin Riparia paludicola distribution. Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  11. ^ Riparia paludicola (Brown-throated martin). Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  12. ↑ a b The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved January 18, 2020 .
  13. ^ BirdLife Data Zone. Retrieved January 18, 2020 .