18/05/2018
The sight of a Common
Swift swooping between the rooftops or the sound of a House Martin calling in the early evening
sunshine are often the first sign that summer is just around the corner.
However, this year an absence of House Martin sightings has led to the RSPB
receiving a high number of calls with people asking where they have gone.
With their distinctive white rump and forked tail, House
Martins only grow 12 cm in length and weigh no more than an AA battery. They
are familiar to most people due to their habit of nesting on buildings, where
they build unique nests made up of more than 1,000 beak-sized pellets of mud.
Every April, hundreds of thousands of individuals of the
species arrive back in Britain after an epic migration from sub-Saharan Africa,
along with many other similar much-loved migrant birds such as Common Swift, Swallow and Sand Martin. This year it appears that numbers of
House Martin arriving in the country has dropped, leading to a dip in sightings
of the charismatic bird.
The RSPB’s Harry Bellew said: “For many people across the
country the sight and sound of a House Martin is the first sign that the warmer
summer weather is on the horizon. There are few better feelings than being able
to sit outside on a warm evening with family and friends enjoying their
dramatic aerial displays or their distinctive jik jik call.
“However, a lack of sightings this year of the migrant bird
have led to a rise in the number of calls from worried members of the public
asking where all the House Martins are. Despite what appears to be a dip in the
number [arriving] this spring, there are plenty of things we can do in our
gardens to give those that do a helping hand.”
There is still an element of mystery around House Martin
numbers in Britain but initial data suggest that between 2001-2011 the UK
population suffered a 16 per cent decline.
No comments:
Post a Comment