Are House Martins Protected?

What are house martins?

The house martin is a small bird with glossy blue-black on the upper body, and pure white on the underbody. It has a distinctive white rump with a forked tail and, on close inspection, white feathers covering its legs and toes. Their nests are usually constructed with mud, and tend to be situated below the eaves of buildings.

Are house martin nests protected?

House martins and their nests are a fully protected species under the Wildlife and Country Act, 1981. This makes it an offence for anyone to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird, their eggs and their nests whilst in use or being built. Ultimately, the act allows for fines up to £5000 and/or a 6-month prison sentence for every bird, egg or nest destroyed.

This means that house martin nests can only be removed if it’s essential to do so after the birds have migrated to Africa in the winter and the nest is no longer in use.

How to prevent house martins

Because house martins are red-listed due to their population decline, the RSPB consider it inappropriate to try and prevent them from nesting. Please consider the following advice:

• Don’t restrict access to parts of your roof where nesting house martins won’t cause you any problems
• Only remove nests in the winter when they’re not in use
• Always follow the law and don’t remove an active nest or deny birds access to their nest or eggs
• Don’t install bird proofing measures or deterrents if you have an active nest on your property

If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t do when it comes to bird proofing and prevention, it’s always best to speak to a professional pest control service who can advise you of the safest solution.

For further information, you can also contact the House Martin National Charity and find a local group for help with other solutions https://housemartinconservation.com