Western House Martin
Delichon urbicum
The Western House Martin (Delichon urbicum) is a common swallow found in 145 countries, weighing about 15 g. The western house martin, sometimes called the common house martin, northern house martin or, particularly in Europe, just house martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and west-central Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and southwestern Asia.
About the Western House Martin
The western house martin, sometimes called the common house martin, northern house martin or, particularly in Europe, just house martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and west-central Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and southwestern Asia. It feeds on insects which are caught in flight, and it migrates to climates where flying insects are plentiful. It has a blue head and upperparts, white rump and pure white underparts, and is found in both open country and near human habitation. It is similar in appearance to the two other martin species of the genus Delichon, which are both endemic to eastern and southern Asia. It has two…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult western house martin is 13 cm (5 in) long, with a wingspan of 26–29 cm (10–11+1⁄2 in) and a weight averaging 18.3 g (21⁄32 oz). It is steel-blue above with a white rump, and white underparts, including the underwings; even its short legs have white downy feathering. It has brown eyes and a small black bill, and its toes and exposed parts of the legs are pink. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile bird is sooty black, and some of its wing coverts and quills have white tips and edgings. D. u.
What the Western House Martin sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Burundi, Niger, Gabon, Somalia, Maldives, Vietnam.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Western House Martin?
- The adult western house martin is 13 cm (5 in) long, with a wingspan of 26–29 cm (10–11+1⁄2 in) and a weight averaging 18.3 g (21⁄32 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Western House Martin?
- The Western House Martin is a tiny sized bird weighing about 15 g.
- Where can you see a Western House Martin?
- The Western House Martin occurs in 145 countries, including Sweden, Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.
- What does a Western House Martin sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Western House Martin on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Western House Martin?
- The Western House Martin is most easily confused with the Asian House Martin and the Nepal House Martin.
- Is the Western House Martin endangered?
- The Western House Martin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Western House Martin for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.