A WILDLIFE charity is urging residents to record sightings of a declining bird species across the county.

With house martin numbers declining in recent years, the species has been identified as a focus of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sightings project.

The charity is asking people to record sightings of house martins to help give more information about their population, distribution and breeding in Worcestershire.

It should also help to confirm if there is a genuine absence of the species in urban areas or simply a lack of reported sightings.

READ MORE: Part of a house and more found in Priory Park pond

Craig Reed, Worcestershire’s county bird recorder, said: “There is a significant observer bias where many records received are of flocks over wetland sites and, as a result, this widespread species is overlooked closer to home where their cheerful chirruping calls and fast erratic fight is a common sight over many homes across the county.

“Despite their widespread distribution, very little nesting data is usually received.”

In 2022, there was a total of 1,094 house martin records across Worcestershire.

A high percentage of these came from popular birding sites, such as Bittell Reservoirs, Grimley and Upton Warren.

Sightings submitted through the Wildlife Sightings scheme added records from new areas.

Worcester and the Wyre Forest districts received the most records with sightings elsewhere being sparser in distribution.

These recorded sightings of house martins not only provide information about the location and distribution of the species but also offer data on breeding.

Mr Reed said: “88 per cent of records that came in through the Wildlife Sightings scheme included evidence of breeding, reporting occupied nests or fledged young as part of their sighting.

"This is a huge increase in our knowledge of breeding birds and shows just how important Wildlife Sightings is in building a picture of these birds in the county.”

READ MORE: Lansdowne Crescent collapsed wall was 'known issue'

The survey is being undertaken in partnership with Worcestershire Biological Records Centre, the repository for natural history sightings in the county, and the Worcestershire Recorders, a group of volunteers whose records and research help with a better understanding of the status of wildlife in Worcestershire.

You can report sightings by uploading photos or birdsong recordings to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s website www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-sightings.