From Opus

Alternative names: House Martin; Common House Martin

Photo by Raydes
Petra, Lesvos, Greece

Delichon urbicum

Delichon urbica

[edit] Identification

• Blue black upperparts with a dark blue sheen
• White rump
• Longest upper tail coverts are wholly black or are only pale at the bases
• White throat, breast, flanks and undertail
• Axillaries are brownish-grey

[edit] Distribution

Photo by IanF
July, Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, Billingham, Cleveland, UK

Widespread and sometimes common, recent evidence of decline.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• D. u. urbicum:

• Europe to central Asia, western and south-eastern Africa

• D. u. meridionale:

• Mediterranean basin to North Africa, Iran and northern India

• D. u. lagopodum:

• Siberia to Mongolia and Manchuria; winters to southern China, Thailand

[edit] Habitat

Aerial. Breeds in towns and rural areas.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Gregarious, breeding colonially on buildings, under eaves and sometimes in cliffs. Nest of mud.

[edit] Diet

Almost entirely flying insects.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966

• List of references

[edit] External Links