We are helping by providing FREE nest cups!
Click the image to see the video!
© Steve LaycockArtificial nest cups can provide House Martins with safe nest sites, and save them time and effort building their own. Unlike some mud nests, these nests don’t fall down, so breeding success should be improved.
Funded by South East Water, HOS provided artificial nest cups to 79 properties in the company's water supply area (in north and east Hampshire) ahead of the 2026 breeding season. This trial scheme is the first of its kind and we're hoping that more and more of the nest cups will attract House Martins as the years go by.
The artificial nests were supplied by Nest Cup Box and fitted by Hampshire Swifts.
To maximise the chances of them being used, the free nest cups were fitted only to buildings within 1km of other nests.
The photo shows one of the free nest cups in use at The Loddon School - click to see the video!
You can see where artificial nest cups were installed and how many of them have been used on this map.
Although we are no longer taking requests for free nest cups, we hope to run a similar but Hampshire-wide scheme in advance of the 2027 breeding season.
To help HOS provide more artificial nest cups, grants have so far been confirmed from: South East Water, Birds on the Brink, Stannah Lift Group, Thames Water, New Forest Biodiversity Forum, New Forest National Park Authority's Sustainable Communities Fund and Portsmouth Water. Other applications are ongoing - watch this space!
FAQs
How many nest cups can I request? Please ask for up to two sets of nest cups from the list (e.g. two front-facing doubles or one one left off-centre double and one right off-centre double). If you are unsure which type would be best, please select 'Please advise'.
How do you decide which type of nest cup is best for each property? All the artificial nest cups come from Nest Cup Box. Most are front-facing doubles (with a sparrow prevention topper), fitted where the soffit overhang is at least 16cm and where there is a horizontal space at least 36cm wide.
House Martins really like a high gable apex and often choose to build the nest right in the top corner. Properties with a gable and overhanging soffits are ideal for left off-centre double cups (on the right side of the gable) or right off-centre double cups (on the left side of the gable). We do not attempt to fit nest cups at the very top because these have to be made with exactly the right angle.
Bespoke single nest cups are reserved mostly for forward-sloping soffits and where rafters protrude.
We do not provide nest cups for houses without overhanging eaves.
Does it matter how high the roof is and which direction it faces? For ease of access and to maximise the chances of being used, the height should be at second floor level. The birds will also need a clear flight path, unobscured by trees or other buildings.
This guide by House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland includes further information about the best aspect and ensuring nesting birds have sufficient shade from the sun.
Why are photos of the property needed? Photos of proposed nest cup locations are essential to confirm the design of the eaves and which type of nest cups would be best. Please supply photos at the time of making your request. You'll have another chance to send photos by email afterwards. Without photos we'll not be able to progress your request.
What about the mess from falling bird droppings and any ongoing maintenance? By positioning the artificial nest cups away from the front door or windows, issues with mess should be avoided. It is also possible to fit a shelf beneath nests to catch droppings.
None of the project partners (HOS, Funders, Nest Cup Box, Hampshire Swifts or Paul Stevens) are legally responsible for future maintenance, replacement or removal of the nest cups.
Who will fit the House Martin nest cups? Hampshire Swifts fitted the first batch of nest cups. In the upcoming countywide scheme, Paul Stevens will fit many of the cups. They have many years of experience climbing ladders to fit artificial nests for both Swifts and House Martins. In most cases they used rawl plugs and stainless steel screws. In some instances, for example where walls are tiled, they use mastic to ensure the nest cups are secure. Obviously, permission from the property owner to fit the nest cups is essential!
Why are the free nest cups restricted to properties within 1km of known nests? House Martins nest in loose colonies. This enables them to find mud and flying insects together, and warn each other of approaching predators. Artificial nest cups within or adjacent to existing colonies are much more likely to be used than elsewhere.
Why was the first free nest cup scheme restricted to only part of Hampshire? As part of an initiative to improve outcomes for Swifts, Swallows and martins across its supply area, South East Water funded the provision of House Martin nest cups to be fitted in their water supply area in Hampshire. This enabled us to develop and test our application and installation processes before widening the scheme to other parts of Hampshire.
How quickly can House Martins be expected to use an artificial nest cup? More than 10% of the artificial nest cups fitted early in 2026 were used during the 2026 breeding season. However, there is anecdotal evidence that fledglings check out potential nest sites before migrating and return to use them the following year, so artificial nest cups installed before the 2026 breeding season are more likely to be used from 2027.
