Northern House Martin (Delichon urbicum)

Northern House Martin (Delichon urbicum) at Marais de Sionnet, Switzerland. May 2016. Not baited. Not called in.

Northern House Martin (Delichon urbicum) at Marais de Sionnet, Switzerland. May 2016. Not baited. Not called in.

Also called Common House Martin, the Northern House Martin (Delichon urbicum) is a migratory bird of the swallow family. I always see them flying in flock, sometimes even joining a flock of Barn Swallows. They are quite easy to distinguish from Barn Swallows though : the Northern House Martin has a bicolor glossy blue-black and pure white plumage, with a white throat and rump. It also has a much shorter tail.

Love Nature.
Jonathan