House Martin

🔍 Overview

Common but declining summer visitor to Sussex, House Martins are aerial insectivores seen from April to November, often nesting under eaves in towns and villages.

🪶 Key Identification Features

• Size: Small (13 cm)

• Plumage: Glossy blue-black upperparts, white underparts

• Distinctive Marks: White rump, short forked tail

• Bill: Short and wide

• Flight: Fast, swooping and agile

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Nests on buildings, bridges, and cliffs across Sussex towns and villages. Seen foraging over fields, rivers, and coastal areas.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Chirping, twittering calls. Often seen in small groups, darting after insects.

🍴 Diet

Flying insects, especially midges and aphids.

📸 Birding Tip

Look for mud nest colonies under eaves. Best viewed near rivers or farmland.