Sand Martin action plan

Aims
1. To protect and enhance sand martin populations in London.
2. To increase our knowledge of sand martins and their habitat requirements in London.
3. To raise public awareness of sand martins and involve Londoners in their conservation.



The sand martin (Riparia riperia), a swallow-like bird with a brown back and white underparts, is a fairly common breeding bird throughout mainland Britain and Ireland. Summer migrants to the UK, sand martins arrive between mid-March to mid-April to breed, before moving south in September to winter in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sand martins are aerial invertebrate feeders, and are often closely associated with areas productive for insects, near to open water. They nest in colonies that may contain 100 or more pairs, excavating horizontal nest chambers in dry, sandy, vertical banks in sand and gravel pits, railway cuttings, riverbanks and exceptionally in drainpipes in walls, holes in brickwork near to reservoirs, canal banks and similar areas of open water. Increasingly, however, sand martins have been found to make use of the sandbanks of both working and redundant mineral extraction pits. They will also utilise specially designed artificial 'nest-boxes' and banks.

A comparison of recent records with those from 30 years ago suggests a general decrease in population in the London area. This has been particularly marked in West London, though this has been partially offset by an increase in East London and Essex.

Contact
The Lead for this species is RSPB.
Alison Giacomelli
RSPB
2nd Floor, Frederick House
42 Frederick Place
Brighton BN1 4EA
Tel: 01273 775333
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.rspb.org.uk