house martin
house martin — noun
1. a small bird with glossy black-and-white feathers and a short forked tail that m
a small bird with glossy black-and-white feathers and a short forked tail that makes a cup-shaped mud nest attached to the outside walls of houses; it is a summer visitor across Europe and travels to Africa each winter
Putri watched a pair of house martins build their mud nest under the balcony roof.
collocation: build a nest under [structure]
Every spring, house martins return to the village where Meera grew up.
migratory behaviour of house martins
The old church in Min's town has dozens of house martin nests on its walls.
Asher learned that house martins fly to Africa for the winter and return each spring.
- common house martin
scientific or formal name for the same species, Delichon urbicum
- swallow
broader term for similar birds; house martins are often mistaken for swallows but have a shorter tail and white rump
用法筆記
This bird is often confused with the swallow, which has a longer tail and a reddish throat. House martins have a pure white underside and a shorter, less deeply forked tail.