Birdsong field guide
Western House-Martin
Delichon urbicum
A small, migratory passerine in the swallow family, easily identified by its glossy blue-black upperparts and a distinctive, contrasting white rump. It is highly adapted to human environments, famously constructing enclosed mud nests on the exteriors of buildings.
What it sounds like
A soft, chirping 'tshirrp' or 'pyrit'; the alarm call is a thin, high-pitched 'tseep'.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- Constructs a closed-cup nest using approximately 1,000 individual pellets of mud collected from puddles or stream banks.
- Feeds almost exclusively on 'aerial plankton,' which includes small flies, aphids, and beetles caught at higher altitudes than other swallows.
- Displays a pure white underside and lacks the long, deeply forked tail streamers characteristic of the Barn Swallow.
- Is a long-distance migrant that spends the northern winter in Sub-Saharan Africa, often remaining at high altitudes during the journey.
- The species name 'urbicum' refers to its strong synanthropic preference for urban and suburban nesting sites over its ancestral cliff habitats.
Habitat
Open country near water, towns, and villages where buildings provide suitable nesting eaves.
Range
Breeds across Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia; winters primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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