Description
The Sand martin (Riparia riparia) is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family (Hirundinidae). They are agile fliers and eat insects (mosquitoes and plant-louses) which they capture while they fly. It is believed that one family of Sand martin’s can eat up to 10,000 mosquitoes per day, which makes them very useful birds to people and other animals. They are spread throughout Europe, Asia and North America and in Northwestern and the North of Africa. European birds wintering in Africa south of the Sahara. Captured at one of their breeding sites on may 2020 at the Munnikenpolder, Leiderdorp in the Netherlands.


