House Martin

The house martin is a small, graceful bird found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Recognizable by its dark back, white underside, and deeply forked tail, it has long, pointed wings for fast, agile flight. House martins build distinctive mud nests under the eaves of buildings, often reusing the same site each year. They are social, nesting in colonies, and feed mainly on flying insects caught in mid-air. During migration, they travel thousands of miles to winter in Africa and southern Asia, returning in spring to breed. They play a vital role in controlling insect populations.