Banded Martin

Riparia cincta

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
GenusRiparia (Sand Martins, Plain Martins, and Allies)
SpeciesRiparia cincta (Banded Martin)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Namib-Naukluft National Park

2 Verified sightings at Namib-Naukluft National Park From 2019 to 2026

2,102 Verified sightings across all 42 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Banded Martin

The banded martin or banded sand martin (Neophedina cincta) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae that is endemic to Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Neophedina. The banded martin was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1780 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux from a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Hirundo cincta in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées.

The banded martin was formerly placed in the genus Riparia. A genetic study found that it belonged to a different clade to other members of the genus, and it was moved to the genus Neophedina that had been introduced in 1922 by the South African zoologist Austin Roberts. The specific epithet cincta is from Latin cinctus meaning "banded".

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Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park

Riparia paludicola

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ptyonoprogne fuligula

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Hirundo rustica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cecropis cucullata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hirundo dimidiata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Petrochelidon spilodera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hirundo albigularis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Delichon urbicum

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Cecropis semirufa

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

LC Endemic

Passer melanurus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Motacilla capensis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Pycnonotus nigricans

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
2	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
3	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
4	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
5	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
6	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
7	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
8	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
9	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
10	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
11	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
12	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
13	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
14	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
15	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
16	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
17	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
18	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
19	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
20	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
21	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
22	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
23	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
24	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
25	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
26	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
27	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
28	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
29	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
30	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
31	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
32	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
33	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
34	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
35	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
36	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
37	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
38	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
39	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
40	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
41	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
42	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data

← Back to Namib-Naukluft National Park

Banded Martin

About the Banded Martin

Recent sightings of Banded Martin in Namib-Naukluft National Park

Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park

Plain Martin

Rock Martin

Barn Swallow

Greater Striped-Swallow

Pearl-breasted Swallow

South African Swallow

White-throated Swallow

House Martin

Rufous-chested Swallow

Cape Sparrow

Cape Wagtail

African Red-eyed Bulbul

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found