The Fairy Martin is known as the 'Bottle Swallow' for its characteristic bottle-shaped mud nests, often made in cliffs or under bridges and culverts.
The Fairy Martin is a small bird, with dark wings, a white underbody and a pinkish-red head. The short, slightly forked tail appears square in flight. It is gregarious, feeding in large flocks and nesting in colonies.
The related Tree Martin, H. nigricans, has a black head and a 'dirty' white rump. Martins are generally smaller and 'dumpier' than swallows, and have a shorter, squared rather than forked tail in flight.
The Fairy Martin is found across Australia.
The Fairy Martin prefers open country near water, and is usually seen near its nest sites, in cliffs, culverts or bridges.
Seasonally migratory, moving north for winter, with some birds flying to New Guinea.
The Fairy Martin feeds high in the air on flying insects, usually in large flocks.
A colonial nester, the Fairy Martin builds bottle-shaped mudnests that are packed closely together on the ceilings of caves, and under bridges or other similar structures. Both sexes build the nest and share incubation and care of the young.
The Fairy Martin readily uses artificial structures such as bridges to attach its nests to, and will also use inhabited buildings to make its nests on.
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