The layers in this part-completed nest suggest that suitable mud was available only intermittently. © David Thelwell
About the Hampshire House Martin Project
Each April and May, House Martins return from Africa to spend the summer in the UK. They catch flying insects on the wing and build their cup-shaped mud nests under the roofs of houses and other buildings. Often, they form colonies with several nests in close proximity.
Hampshire Ornithological Society encourages the recording of all bird species in Hampshire. Some are doing well but the House Martin seems to be getting scarcer. Reflecting a wider decline, the House Martin has recently been added to the Red List of Britain’s most endangered birds.
With your help, we want to measure the scale of the problem and do something about it.
Collecting soft, sticky mud for a nest. © Edward Butler
What's the problem?
Where ponds and other insect-rich habitats have deteriorated or when the weather is poor, a lack of insects makes it difficult for them to find sufficient food.
Sometimes it is difficult for them to find soft mud from which to build their nests.
Their nests stick less easily to modern plastic soffits and may fall off, killing eggs and young and wasting weeks of time and nest-building effort.
This young House Martin (with white tips to its wing feathers) has fledged from an artificial nest cup. © Colin Bates
How can we help?
A team of HOS volunteers is ready to follow up reports of breeding House Martins and collate more detailed information where possible.
From 2026 we hope to offer artificial nest cups to extend existing colonies. This would save House Martins valuable time, make the nests more robust and hopefully boost breeding success.
In future, we’ll be able to compare the current House Martin breeding distribution with the national survey carried out in 2015. This will provide further evidence of changes to the population size and distribution in Hampshire.
Please address general enquiries to