Wildlife

House Martin: Declining Aerial Migrant Needs Our Buildings

House martins build mud nests on buildings but face declining insect prey and increasing nest destruction.

Key Facts

House martins build cup-shaped mud nests under eaves of buildings
UK populations declined by 37 percent between 1970 and 2015
They migrate to sub-Saharan Africa spending winters in the Congo Basin
Nest mud collection can take hundreds of trips requiring nearby wet muddy areas
Chicks require huge numbers of insects and can perish in cold wet summers

Welfare Considerations

House martins suffer when buildings are renovated without replacement nesting facilities. Many homeowners remove nests due to mess from droppings, leaving birds homeless. Climate change is causing mismatches between arrival of birds from Africa and peak insect abundance. Drought reduces mud availability for nest construction and insect populations decline in intensive agricultural landscapes.

What You Can Do

Leave existing house martin nests in place as they are protected by law
Install artificial house martin nest cups under eaves before renovation
Provide a wet muddy area in the garden for nest material collection
Report illegal nest removal to the RSPB or local police wildlife officer
Reduce or eliminate pesticide use in gardens to help maintain insect populations