Brown-throated Martin (Riparia paludicola)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Brown-throated Martin

Riparia paludicola (Vieillot, 1817)

12 cmLength14 gWeight

The brown-throated martin, brown-throated sand martin or plain martin (Riparia paludicola) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family, Hirundinidae, that is widely distributed across Africa.

Busiest months: August and October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Brown-throated Martin has been recorded at 366 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 26 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa1,803 records
  2. Nairobi NPKenya840 records
  3. Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa808 records
More places
  1. Lake Nakuru NPKenya370 records
  2. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya350 records
  3. Arusha NPTanzania346 records
  4. Rondevlei NRSouth Africa326 records
  5. Manguo SwampKenya325 records
  6. Macaneta – Wetland, dune forests and coastMozambique300 records
  7. Oued Massa – champs d'AghorimzeMorocco297 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaTanzaniaMoroccoEthiopiaBotswanaUgandaMozambique

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The brown-throated martin, brown-throated sand martin or plain martin (Riparia paludicola) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family, Hirundinidae, that is widely distributed across Africa. It was formerly regarded as conspecific with the grey-throated martin (Riparia chinensis) and the Madagascar martin (Riparia cowani).

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Brown-throated Martin?

The Brown-throated Martin is about 12 cm long and weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Brown-throated Martin live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.

When is the best time to see the Brown-throated Martin?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Brown-throated Martin endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Brown-throated Martin as Least Concern.

What does the Brown-throated Martin eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Brown-throated Martin in?

It belongs to the family Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
12 cm
Weight
14 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
101 mm
Tail
49 mm
Bill
10 mm
Tarsus
10 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Swallows, Martins Hirundinidae
Genus
Riparia

Other birds in the genus Riparia

Madagascar MartinMadagascar MartinRiparia cowaniGrey-throated MartinGrey-throated MartinRiparia chinensisCongo MartinCongo MartinRiparia congicaSand MartinSand MartinRiparia ripariaPale MartinPale MartinRiparia dilutaAfrican River MartinAfrican River MartinPseudochelidon eurystominaWhite-eyed River MartinWhite-eyed River MartinPseudochelidon sirintaraeSquare-tailed Saw-wingSquare-tailed Saw-wingPsalidoprocne nitensWhite-headed Saw-wingWhite-headed Saw-wingPsalidoprocne albicepsMountain Saw-wingMountain Saw-wingPsalidoprocne fuliginosa
Brown-throated Martin

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Michael McSweeney. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages