New nesting tower in bid to boost house martins

A new nesting tower has been installed at a green space to help support a struggling bird species.

Malvern Hills District Council installed a tower at End Hill Way in Malvern Vale, Worcestershire, to provide a safe nesting space for house martins.

The accompanying information board gives details about the birds, including their travel habits, how they create their nests, and how the public can do its part to help.

A special open day event will be held on 13 March, between 15:00 and 17:00 GMT, for residents and visitors to find out more about the project.

Staff from the authority as well as Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Greenbelt would be on hand to answer questions, the council said.

Visitors will also have the chance to register their interest in receiving a house martin nesting cup for their own homes.

The birds travel from Africa to the UK every year to breed and raise their chicks in mud nests under the eaves of buildings.

Their numbers had decreased by 42% between 1995 and 2023 in the UK, the council said, and this was largely due to habitat loss, reductions in insects and a lack of suitable nesting sites.

Lorna Baggett, biodiversity projects officer at the authority, said it was vital that action was taken to provide nesting sites for the birds.

"It is our hope that we can encourage more residents to join us in supporting house martins at Malvern Vale," she said.

Councillor Natalie McVey helped fund the project using her ward budget fund.

"I am passionate about the wonderful wildlife we have in our district and additions like this will hopefully help our house martin colony thrive for years to come," she said.

Meanwhile, councillor Ian Cresswell, cabinet member for environment and communities at Worcestershire County Council, said it was encouraging to see a locally-led initiative to create nesting opportunities for the birds.

"Projects like this show the real difference we can make when organisations work together towards a shared goal," he said.

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