Bird
🐦
🐦
Size
13 cmSlightly smaller than a Swallow
Weight
14–22 gAbout 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
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)
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