sand martin

American  

noun

British.

1. the bank swallow.

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sand martin British  

noun

1. a small brown European songbird, Riparia riparia, with white underparts: it nests in tunnels bored in sand, river banks, etc: family Hirundinidae (swallows and martins)

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Etymology

Origin of sand martin

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

In “Homecomings,” Heaney describes returning home, where he watches a sand martin gambol along a riverbank.

From Washington Post

At Hosehill Lake in Berkshire, boating and swimming have disturbed nesting birds including terns, lapwing, sand martins, and oyster catchers.

From BBC

Mr Packham said he was "absolutely overjoyed" to see the sand martin chicks fledging.

From BBC

As oystercatchers inspect the board of fare left by a receding tide, a colony of sand martins dip and weave among the dunes that define this expanse.

From The Guardian

During his PhD, spent studying sand martins on the Tisza river in central Europe, he found his narcolepsy fitted in quite well with his long waits for the birds to return to their colonies.

From The Guardian