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.

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.