The role of the microtubular marginal band (MT‐MB) in the mature nucleated chicken erythrocyte is still not well understood. We show here, in stopped flow experiments, that the kinetics of swelling of the chicken red blood cells, subsequent to a fast decreases in ionic strength, are identical at 37 °C and 4 °C, i.e. in the presence or in the absence of MT‐MB. This suggests that the MT‐MB does not provide the chicken erythrocyte with significant protection against osmotic stresses. Instead, MT‐MB may be involved in the development and maintenance of the peculiar elliposoidal shape of the chicken erythrocyte. If either one of these functions occursin vivo, MT‐MB should involve close, specific and strong interactions with the chicken red blood cell membrane. We report the identification of two sets of proteins which may represent specific sites for anchoring the MT‐MB on the chicken erythrocyte plasma membrane.