Common House Martin - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: House Martin; Common House Martin

Photo by Raydes
Petra, Lesvos, Greece

Delichon urbicum

Delichon urbica

Identification

• Blue black upperparts with a dark blue sheen
• White rump
• Longest upper tail coverts are wholly black or are only pale at the bases
• White throat, breast, flanks and undertail
• Axillaries are brownish-grey

Distribution

Photo by IanF
July, Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, Billingham, Cleveland, UK

Widespread and sometimes common, recent evidence of decline.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

• D. u. urbicum:

• Europe to central Asia, western and south-eastern Africa

• D. u. meridionale:

• Mediterranean basin to North Africa, Iran and northern India

• D. u. lagopodum:

• Siberia to Mongolia and Manchuria; winters to southern China, Thailand

Habitat

Aerial. Breeds in towns and rural areas.

Behaviour

Breeding

Gregarious, breeding colonially on buildings, under eaves and sometimes in cliffs. Nest of mud.

Diet

Almost entirely flying insects.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Delichon urbica (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Common House Martin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_House_Martin

External Links

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