bank swallow

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Hirundo or Cotile riparia, a very common bird of Europe, Asia, and America, of the family Hirundinidæ: so called from its habit of burrowing in banks to build its nest. It is a small swallow, mouse-gray above and white below, with a gray collar. In places where it is numerous, hundreds or thousands gather to breed in company, and a sandbank may be riddled with their holes, which are excavated to the depth of a foot or more. Also called sandswallow and bank-martin. See Cotile.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. a small American and European swallow (Clivicola riparia) that nests in a hole which it excavates in a bank.
2. See under 1st bank, n.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. swallow of the northern hemisphere that nests in tunnels dug in clay or sand banks