All About The House Martin
House martins are one of the UK’s more common garden birds, appearing in the summer and disappearing before the harsh winter can set in. With glossy blue-black feathers and pure white underparts, the house martin is a distinctly beautiful bird that many avid garden bird watchers lookout for in April. So, whether you’ve spotted a house martin enjoying your garden or want to try and encourage them in, here’s all you need to know about the house martin.
What Do House Martins Look Like?
The house martin is only a small bird, with a length of around 12cm and a wingspan of between 26 and 29 cm[i]. It has glossy blue-black upper parts, with a bright white throat and matching underpants. Its rump is also white with a forked, blue-back tail.
The house martin is very similar in appearance to another typical summer visitor, the swallow. However, the swallow has a red throat and longer tail feathers.
What Do House Martins Sound Like?
House martin songs are very similar to those of a sparrow, consisting of cheeping or chirruping sounds. However, the house martin’s song is rather high-pitched and more trilling than a sparrow’s. Usually, house martins are the most vocal around their nest sites, although you can often hear them in other places.
What Do House Martins Eat?
House martins feed at a higher altitude than many other birds, catching aphids and other flying insects in flight. Although this is the house martin’s preferred way of feeding, a few foods you can leave out could attract these birds to your garden. You can feed a house martin:
- Suet pellets
- Sunflower hearts
- Pinhead oats
- Live foods
Where Does The House Martin Nest?
True to their name, a house martin nest is usually built under the eaves of a building’s roof. In some cases, people may find them inside roofs or sheds. They are colonial nesters, meaning their nests are found in groups, usually of four or five. However, there have been reports of larger nesting colonies, particularly in the countryside. A house martin’s nest is primarily made from grass and mud and lined with feathers and similar materials.
The breeding season lasts from early May to late August, and chicks are usually ready to leave the nest at 22-23 days. However, some chicks are still in the nest as late as September. Plus, house martins often return to their old nests. So, if you find a house martin nest in your garden, it’s best to leave it alone.
When Do House Martins Arrive In The UK?
House martins arrive in the UK in April, just a month before their breeding season begins. Sometimes, you can spot house martins returning to our shores in late March, though this is usually rare.
When Do House Martins Leave The UK?
House martins begin to leave the UK in August, although they can often still be spotted as late as October. Usually, a house martin will stay so late in the UK if they have raised multiple broods.
Where Do House Martins Migrate To?
House martins migrate to Africa from the UK, spending their winters in the sub-Saharan climate. Unfortunately, not much else is known about the house martin’s migration. For example, experts do not know the house martin’s route to get to Africa or the exact wintering areas it chooses to stay in.
Are House Martins In Decline?
Currently, the house martin’s conservation status is red[ii]. Unfortunately, this means that the house martin population has declined drastically in recent years. Although 510,000 breeding pairs may not sound like something to worry about, the house martin population has suffered from a 47% reduction since 1970[iii].
It’s believed that this significant population decline is due to several factors, primarily global warming, a reduction in habitat and degraded overwintering grounds. House martins need wet mud to build their nests and warm weather to bring out the insects, both of which are becoming unreliable due to global warming. On top of this, barn conversions and similar construction works are destroying their nesting grounds, while natural habitat loss is consistently occurring in Africa.
See how you can help protect the house martin with the house martin conservation charity.
The House Martin
The house martin is a beautiful bird that the UK is lucky to witness each summer. With glossy feathers and a charming high-pitched song, we’re sure that all you gardeners and birdwatchers would be thrilled to spot this incredible bird in your garden – and now you know what to look out for!
Do you have any fun facts about the house martin? Have you spotted any in your garden this year? Let us know!
[i] https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/house-martin/
[ii] https://housemartinconservation.com/
[iii] https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/house-martin/population-trends/
I am worried by the disapearance of my House Martins I have nests under the eaves and since the heatwave in July I haven’t seen or heard them. They are the best thing about summer and I don’t want them to come to harm
I have noticed several house Martins nests in the eaves of our medical centre in torpoint cornwall ,think this is the 2nd or 3rd year
I have had the pleasure of having six house Martin nests under the eaves of my cottage. I have lived here now for three years and I watch for their return
Every Spring. They are a joy to watch and I miss them now they’re gone.
A few years ago, sometime around February, I was in Nakuru, Kenya, staying with a friend on a hill outside the city, and I saw lots of House Martins on the wing in the evening, darting in every direction, obviously feeding on the abundance of airborne insects.
It was a thrilling sight, and I even wondered if I could see the same birds back in the UK around the houses when I returned!
See photo. A young bird waiting to be fed
Mossley – Tameside
I recently found 3 fledglings on the ground outside a house in my area, the owner of the house had broken the nest (I think) as it was in pieces, one was dead, one severely injured and the last was fine, I brought the two survivors home, and fed them moistened kitten kibble, one of them died a few days later sadly, but the last is doing really well. My daughter (11yo) my wife and myself have been rehabbing him and he is nearly ready to “fly the nest”… it will be a bitter sweet moment when we watch Rascal fly off as we are all very fond of him, but my daughter’s mind is blown that Rascal will fly to Africa with his kin.
We have a narrow boat on the Leeds and Liverpool canal and watch the house swooping down onto the canal for insects especially when it’s raining we think they nest in the farm building but not sure. This is our second summer at this moorings love this time of year and the House Martin make it special watching the adult feeding the young on the fence by the boat I have a photo but not sure how to add it
Currently sat watching 100+ housemartines in East Lothian Scotland
This is the most I’ve seen in 34years living in this house
Summers goes when they g
They have nested above my front door in a gable apex on my bungalow. They make a right mess with their droppings in front of the door, I have to clean down 3 times a day!! Lovely little birds but I’ll be glad when they go !! And hopefully don’t return.