The House Martin (Delichon urbicum) is a small bird with glossy blue-black upper parts and pure white under parts. The House Martin, like the Swallow is a fast flying aerial feeder with a forked tail, the tail is much shorter than Swallows and lacks the long streamers. The large white rump is the diagnostic feature when separating it from Swallow. Adult males and females are alike. They nest in colonies, building mud cups under the eaves of houses. The nests are frequently used for several years, often by the same adult birds or juveniles. House Martins spend the majority of their time airborne, hawking insects and drinking from pools by low flying skimming.
