Recovery strategy for the Bank Swallow

摘要: The Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) is a small migratory songbird. Despite being one of the most widespread swallows in the world, it is less familiar to most people than some other swallow species. The Bank Swallow breeds in colonies throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and overwinters in Central and South America, southern Africa, and southern and southeast Asia. Several subspecies are recognized but only one subspecies, Riparia riparia riparia, breeds in North America. Due to population declines across the northern portion of its North American breeding range, the Bank Swallow is listed as threatened under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) and has been assessed as threatened in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The decline in aerial insectivorous bird populations, including swallows, flycatchers, swifts and nightjars, has become a major conservation concern in Ontario and elsewhere. However, the mechanisms driving these declines are not well understood.