House martin survey

We know surprisingly little about House Martins despite the fact that they breed alongside us, using our houses on which to build a nest made of hundreds of beakfuls of mud.

                                                                                                                                    Photo Doug Welch

We need to discover more about House Martins to help us identify why they are declining and provide scientific evidence to help inform policy decisions that could reverse the declines.

The House Martin survey over the next two years will collect more information on population size, breeding ecology and habitat preferences, so we can begin to tackle some key questions about this eagerly awaited summer visitor.

In 2015 the nationwide random square survey will involve volunteers visiting 2,000 – 3,000 ‘random’ (i.e. pre-selected) 1-km squares throughout the UK. By surveying random squares we can produce a robust population estimate to monitor future changes. 

Find out more about what the 2015 House Martin Count Survey involves, and request a square to survey.

Kelvin
BTO Cymru