If only everyone installed one of these Eco House Martin Nests!
In 2015's season of Springwatch, which aired on the BBC it was reported that in 30 years numbers have plummeted by a huge 57%. It was suggested that the birds' decline was due to the lack of resources for them; it is thought a large factor is modern housing. House Martins love to build their nests up under eaves and with more UPVC and less wood being used in construction, the beakfuls of mud the birds use to build aren't sticking to the walls. This coupled with fewer green areas to collect the wet mud from is seriously impacting numbers.
- Nest cup based on the size and shape of natural house martin nests.
- Moulded resin/concrete bowl fixed to backing plate/roof made from recycled waste plastic.
- No maintenance required.
House martins will readily adopt these nest cups which are based on the size and shape of natural house martin nests. They provide somewhere secure for house martins to nest which means that the birds use less energy to produce their nest and do not need to find suitable nest building mud (which can be in short supply in dry Springs). The nest cup consists of a moulded resin/concrete bowl with drainage hole, fixed to a backing plate and roof made from recycled waste plastic. The roof protects the nest from adverse weather, and facilitates siting it just under the eaves. With the roof and back made from plastic, no further protection from the weather or maintenance is needed. The Eco House Martin Nest is easy to fix to your wall; it slots over two screws with a third hole at the base for securing it in place.
The nest should be positioned beneath the eaves of the building at a minimum height of 2m. House martins often prefer to nest on east or north facing walls but walls in any direction may be used. When siting your nest it is best to avoid locations over windows and doors as droppings will tend to build up beneath active nests.
House martins are social birds nesting in colonies so the Eco House Martin Nests can be installed in groups to encourage colonies to form on the chosen building. Even if house martins don’t use the artificial nest, its presence may encourage other pairs to nest alongside.