Definition

Noun: 1. A small migratory bird: The house martin (Delichon urbicum) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family, Hirundinidae. It is characterized by its blue-black upperparts, white rump, and pure white underparts. 2. A nesting bird associated with human structures: It is known for building its distinctive, enclosed mud nests under the eaves, on the walls, or on the cliffs of houses and other buildings.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • A colony of house martins has returned to nest under the roof of the barn.
  • We watched the house martin skillfully catching insects in mid-air.
  • The distinctive white rump makes the house martin easy to identify in flight.

Advanced Usage

• As a subject of study in ornithology: The term is used in scientific and birdwatching contexts to discuss migration patterns, breeding habits, or conservation status.
  • The study tracked the house martin's migration route from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa.

Variants and Related Words

• Martin (n): A general term for various birds of the swallow family, often used in compound names like "sand martin" or "purple martin."
• Swallow (n): A related bird in the same family, typically with longer tail streamers and different nesting habits.

Synonyms

• Delichon urbicum (n): The scientific binomial name.
• Common house-martin (n): A fuller common name.

Related Phrases

• House martin nest (n phrase): Refers specifically to the cup-shaped nest constructed from mud pellets.
  • The children were fascinated by the construction of the house martin nest.

Noun

1. common small European martin that builds nests under the eaves of houses