A black-and-white Eurasian songbird of the swallow family, often building its mud nest on the walls of buildings.
Genus Delichon, family Hirundinidae: three species, in particular the widespread D. urbica
Example sentencesExamples
- I can hear house martins chattering away in their nests under the eaves as I write these words.
- These woodpeckers have also regularly attacked colonies of nesting house martins by clinging to the side of the inverted mud dome and chipping away a hold.
- In dry conditions when wet mud is difficult to obtain swallows will take over old nests of other birds including house martins and blackbirds.
- Some species, like swallows and house martins, are in decline and this exercise will help assess the state of their insect food source.
- Even more resourceful are house martins nesting on ships.