Why we named our bookmark manager after the house martin and how to help the bird

When we ended up with LinkMartin, I was so happy. Firstly, because my search ended. Secondly, because the house martin is my favourite bird. To be precise, my favourite birds are the swallows and martins — the barn swallow, the house martin — and the swift, which looks like them but belongs to a different family. The house martin is glossy blue-black above and white below, with a bright white rump.

What's more, the house martin is known for building a cup-shaped nest of mud under the eaves of a house and returning to the same nest every spring. That's the association we really liked — LinkMartin is named after the house martin because that is what we wanted our bookmark manager to do: keep the pages you save close to you, and bring them back when you need them. We liked the association with speed too: the house martin is quick in the air, and we wanted LinkMartin to be quick to use.

A bird on the Red List

As someone who loves house martins, I know I'm lucky to be able to watch them these days. I live in Eastern Europe, and in summer I can watch and hear barn swallows, house martins, and swifts in the sky at the same time. Birdwatchers and bird lovers in the UK are not that lucky. As far as I know, sadly, house martins are much less common in the UK than they used to be. In fact, in December 2021 the house martin was moved to the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern — the list of species in the most trouble. Its UK population has shrunk by 57% since 1969, and the British Trust for Ornithology says the main reasons for the decline are not yet clear. I hope the situation changes soon.

How to help the population of house martins

I would like to end this article with advice from House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland, a charity dedicated to increasing knowledge and halting the population decline of house martins across the UK and Ireland.

Nesting support

• Install artificial nest cups. Fix prefabricated nest cups under your eaves to give returning birds a secure and permanent home.
• Create artificial eaves. If your house lacks suitable natural eaves, attach a wooden board to create a protective overhang.
• Time renovations carefully. Ensure any structural work that requires removing old nests is done outside the nesting season. Removing, damaging, or destroying an active nest is illegal in the UK.

Garden and habitat creation

• Leave the birds some mud for building. Maintain a garden pond with a muddy edge, or set out a tray of wet mud in an open area, so the birds have material to build or repair their nests. Make sure these places are out of cats' reach.
• Boost insect populations. Plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers to provide an abundant food source for these insect-eating birds.

Managing droppings and coexistence

• Install droppings boards. Prevent mess on your property by fitting a board a couple of metres below the nests to catch droppings.
• Use droppings as fertiliser. Place potted plants directly underneath the nests so the droppings add helpful nutrients to the soil.

And lastly, spread the word. Educate your kids, relatives, neighbours, and community about the species' decline to encourage collective conservation efforts. Share your knowledge of how to help the birds.

Sasha Vergeichik, Product Manager