House Martin
The house martin is small bird from the swallow family. They arrive in the UK around April, returning to their traditional nest sites. They stay until around September – October time when they then migrate south for the winter.
Identification
- Adult
- The House Martin is a compact black & white bird. They have a blue-black crown & back, black wings & tail, prominent white rump, forked tail and pure white underparts.
- Size
- 12 - 13cm
- Bill
- Black, short & thin
- Legs
- White & short; on close inspection their legs and toes are covered in white feathers
- Habitat
- The House Martin is found in towns, cities, mixed agricultural areas, and inland freshwater.
- Behaviour
- Aerial, takes off and lands on buildings. Spend a lot of its time on the wing.
- Flight
- Glides, flittering, diving, swooping.
- Voice
- Harsh chirrup
Breeding & Feeding
- Nest
- Mud domes under eaves of buildings
- Eggs
- Lays 4-5 eggs, white.
- Incubation Period
- 13 - 19 days
- Broods
- 2 to 3; May - June.
- Food
- Insects on the wing.
- UK Breeding Pairs
- 560000
