Bird 🐦
🐦
Delichon urbicum
| Size | 13 cm Slightly smaller than a Swallow |
|---|---|
| Weight | 14–22 g About the weight of a large strawberry |
| Lifespan | 5 years |
| Rarity | Common |
| M vs F | Sexes look identical — both are iridescent blue-black above with pure white underparts and a distinctive white rump |
| Habitat | Over open country, lakes, rivers — nests under eaves of buildings in villages and towns |
| Best time | April–October |
| Conservation | UK: Red LC |
Did you know?
House Martins build their cup-shaped mud nests one beakful at a time — constructing the entire structure from over 1,000 individual mud pellets collected from puddle edges
House Martins build their cup-shaped mud nests one beakful at a time — constructing the entire structure from over 1,000 individual mud pellets collected from puddle edges
More for experts
We know almost nothing about where UK House Martins spend the winter — they have rarely been tracked to their African wintering grounds and the destination remains one of ornithology's outstanding mysteries
Often confused with
Swallow (longer tail streamers, red throat, no white rump), Swift (all dark, screaming, never perches)
Swallow (longer tail streamers, red throat, no white rump), Swift (all dark, screaming, never perches)