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Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Birds Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)

General Description: Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) are birds of the open sky that feed on the wing and don't often perch where you can get a good look at them. Bank Swallows are dark above and light below, with a distinct gray band across the chest. The band sometimes extends down the center of the chest towards the belly.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Hirundinidae, Hirundininae.

Favored Habitat: Swallows are birds of the open sky that feed on the wing. They can be found in most habitats as they pass through the Las Vegas area during migration.

Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)

Where to Find: Bank Swallows are not common around Las Vegas, but they can be found anywhere, so keep an eye out for them over open marshy areas and water. Look for them at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, the meadow at Calico Basin, and the pasture at Corn Creek.

Comments: Swifts and swallows can sometimes be hard to tell apart in flight. The key is the way they fly. Swallows flap their wings like normal birds -- both wings go up and down at the same time. Swifts do this too, but they flap so quickly that the wings appear to move in opposite directions with one wing going up while the other goes down -- their flight appears to be more of a swimming motion.

Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) If you were a tasty flying insect, this might be the last face you ever see!
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Bank Swallow; notice the dark band across the chest
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Bank Swallows (2) and a Barn Swallow
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Bank swallow nest colony in the bank of a river
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Bank swallow nest colony

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240120

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