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BTO publishes peer-reviewed papers in a wide range of scientific journals, both independently and with our partners. If you are unable to access a scientific paper by a BTO author, please contact us.

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Using citizen science to assess drivers of Common House Martin breeding performance

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Published: 2020

House Martin numbers in the UK have declined by 39% over a 25 year period, but it is unclear why. This small hirundine is a summer visitor that spends the winter months in an unknown part of sub-Saharan Africa, returning to build their cup-shaped nests under the eaves of buildings during April and May. In the 2016 and 2017 breeding seasons, BTO ran the House Martin Nest Study which involved members of the public monitoring the breeding behaviour of House Martins nesting close to where they lived. The findings of this survey show that House Martins arrive earlier in the east of the UK and begin breeding earlier than birds nesting in the west, possibly a result of drier weather in the east. Birds using old nests from previous years or artificial nests also have greater breeding success than those that building nests from scratch. Furthermore, birds that build nests on PVC as opposed to brick, concrete or wood have much lower breeding success, with nests more likely to collapse on the PVC substrate. House Martins breeding in an agricultural environment are also less successful than those breeding in a suburban setting. The study also reported the first confirmed triple broods in the UK; whilst pairs of House Martins have been recorded undertaking three nesting attempts in a single summer further south in Europe, this had not previously been observed in the UK. The research, which identifies factors potentially influencing House Martin population trends, has direct conservation applications for this declining species. One simple recommendation from the study's results is to install artificial nesting cups to save birds around 10 days of nest building time when they return from migration, especially on buildings wtih plastic soffit. The results also suggest that old nests should not be cleared for similar reasons.

02.10.20

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