Artificial house martin nest scheme set to expand

Up to 900 artificial nest cups for threatened house martins are set to be installed across Hampshire as part of a conservation scheme, the Hampshire House Martins Project said.

The birds travel from Africa each spring and are listed on the UK Red List of endangered species, with researchers linking their decline to a shortage of wet mud caused by extreme summer heat. Following a pilot scheme, the project is offering the cups free of charge, which should cut the time and effort the birds need to build their own mud nests. Nigel Matthews, the project co‑ordinator, urged residents, schools and businesses to apply for the nests to give these remarkable birds a safe place to raise their young.

Figures show the UK house‑martin population fell by 40% between 1995 and 2024, partly due to poor breeding success. Each cup‑shaped nest is built beneath roofs, requiring the birds to carry roughly 1,000 soft‑mud pellets per nest. The birds return each April and May and often form colonies with several nests close together.

Matthews said the free cups would "to give these remarkable birds a safe place to raise their young".