Western house martin

Latin Delichon urbicum (L.)
Estonian Räästapääsuke

Also known as: common house martin, Northern house martin, house martin

Status in Estonia

Breeding and migratory bird.

Description

The Western house martin is recognisable by the bright white preen gland area that stands out against the usually black top side. The crown, upper back and shoulders have a blue shine, while the underside is white. The tail is black, short and fairly forked (with no lengthy tail feathers). On the ground, you can see white fluffy legs. The juvenile is similar to an adult bird, but its top side has less blue sheen and the lower throat area and nose are brownish-grey, with a little yellow at the base of the beak.

Size

Body length 13.5–15 cm, wingspan 25–29 cm, body mass 12–22 g.

Similar species

Barn swallow, sand martin.

Distribution

Widespread from Western Europe to Western Siberia and from North Africa to Northern Europe. Ringing data shows that the population breeding in the Baltic countries and Scandinavia winters in Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa. It is a common human companion in Estonia.

 Population

Estonia has 50,000–100,000 breeding pairs.

Occurrence in Estonia

It arrives in the spring at the beginning of May or in late April. Migration lasts the entire month of August and typically concludes at the beginning of September.

Diet

The Western house martin hunts solely in the air, catching tiny beetles, mosquitoes and flies.

Habitat

The Western house martin is primarily a cultural landscape bird in Estonia, preferring to nest under the eaves of stone or concrete buildings (sometimes in colonies of up to 40–200 pairs), but it also nests in natural conditions, forming large colonies on the steep limestone banks of the northern coast and Saaremaa.

 Nesting

Many pairs of birds nest close together in a colony. Both parents build the nest out of mud and clay and line it with small feathers, down or plant fibres. In the middle of May, the female bird lays 3–7 eggs, which she incubates for 12–13 days or up to 22 days. The length of incubation is determined by the weather: under cold and humid conditions, less insects fly and the parents must spend a lot of time looking for food. However, if the weather is nice, the required amount of food is quickly obtained and the parents rush back to the eggs. Swallows developed torpor in response to hunger, a process that decreases body temperature and metabolic intensity, reducing the need for feeding. When the parents are away foraging for a long time, the chicks can use the same method. Hatched swallows often spend about three weeks in the nest waiting for food before learning to fly in mid-June.

Conservation status and protection

The Western house martin is not under protection. People who dislike having a nest built under their eaves and destroy it are a threat. A domesticated cat can potentially threaten the western house martin if the nest is in an undesirable location with easy access.

Distribution and population in Lääne County

The Western house martin is a very common breeding bird and migratory bird in Lääne County. It nests wherever there are suitable eaves for making a nest. In Matsalu National Park, Western house martins nest in considerable numbers near Port Puise and Port Keemu. In autumn, between the end of August and the beginning of September, you can watch the countless Western house martin migrations from the Cape Puise observation platform.