They fly mainly over water and will also perch on overhead wires or branches. Uniquely among our swallows, swifts and martins, these birds burrow holes into sandy or dry earth banks. They need a dry, near-vertical bank in a sea-cliff, railway cutting, gravel pit or high riverbank though have also been known to try drainpipes poking out of walls and holes in brickwork.
Entire colonies of birds can pepper cliffs with these little entrances to their nests, which are protected by law. Farmland and wetland, especially along rivers, lake systems and man-made gravel pits with suitable nesting banks. Sand martins need safe and long-lasting banks for their nests.
These may be coastal cliffs, banks in gravel quarries, low riverbanks, or artificial sand cliffs, such as we have at RSPB Minsmere. Martin Harper Blog.
How nature can help protect our homes Following the floods this winter, watch how one area is using nature as a natural protector. Most popular bird guides this month Which bird song is that? Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird Read more advice about what to do if you find a bird that needs help. How green are you? See some of the ways you can get into green living.
Marshside This fantastic wetland site is located north of Southport town centre and has some of the best wildlife in the region. Lytchett Fields The reserve has seen more than thirty species of wading birds.
Arne Heathland home to more than species. Get out, get busy and get wild! Fun factoids for all the family Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window. Swift, swallow or martin? Swirling high in the blue skies, screeching wildly. Dark-winged creatures darting low over fields. Others chirruping softly as they flutter to and fro on the warm breeze. But which bird is it? The house martin is glossy black above, completely white below, and has a white rump and a short, forked tail.
As its name suggests, the house martin can be spotted around our towns and villages, where they build mud cup nests beneath the eaves of houses. They can often be seen visiting puddles to collect the mud they use to build their impressive nests. Key features to look for are the white rump and the all-white underparts, with no dark band across the breast.
Our smallest member of the swallow family, the sand martin is brown above and white below, with a brown band across its breast and a short, forked tail. Sand martins nest in burrows, usually dug into sandy banks. They nest in colonies, with many pairs nesting close together at suitable sites. They're often seen over water, and many wetland nature reserves have built special nesting banks to give them a home.
Key features to look for are the all-brown upperparts and the dark band across the breast, separating the white throat from the white belly.
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Ross 5 Aug Chris Gardner 5 Aug Bosco DeSouza 5 Aug Sandra Culpin 5 Aug The eggs hatch within a 3-week period and the young birds will fledge between days. Swifts are constantly on the wing apart from when breeding.
Both adults will share the feeding duties and pair up for life. When they migrate to Africa, pairs separate and meet up at their usual nest site the following Spring. Swifts are quite noisy. It is easy to distinguish their song from Swallows. They are wonderful to watch and swoop and turn in aerobatic displays. If you see a bird sitting on telegraph wires, it is not a Swift. They have tiny legs which make manoeuvering very difficult. Swifts are flight specialists living on small insects and spiders.
They potentially eat more species than any other bird in the British Isles. Swifts glide across the water, taking sips as they do so. They make it look effortless, making use of puddles or even swimming pools. They often catch raindrops on the wing. In stormy weather, they are unable to catch insects during the summer months in the UK. They actively fly around the storm to eat. No other British bird is recorded doing this.
They migrate in July or late August , so earlier than Swallows. This is usually triggered by a lack of flying insects. It is a long migration — through France, Spain and then, onto Africa. They follow the rains as insects increase. The return journey occurs in late April or early May. Swifts do have parasites, fleas and mites. One parasite called the louse-fly looks quite alarming. They are not harmful to people. Swallows belong to the family of birds called Hirundinidae which includes Martins.
Their average lifespan is 3 years and they do not live as long as Swifts. They are agile birds, feeding on insects and spend the majority of time on the wing.
Unlike Swifts, you do see them on telegraph wires. With short legs , they can perch but do not really walk. Their front toes are partially joined at the base. Swallows are small birds with a wonderful song. They have glossy-blue-black feathers on the back and the feathers underneath are pale.
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