Passage migrant and scarce breeding summer visitor.

House Martins rapidly colonized the new town housing of Stevenage and became a feature from the early 1960s until the 1980s. A survey in 1966 found 397 occupied nests in the town.

On 14 August 1975 a flock of 100+ were seen in Popple Way, in 1976 a flock of 100+ were seen at the Old Town on 5 August, and 70+ were seen at Fairlands Valley on 19 September. 90+ were seen on outbuildings at Astonbury Manor on 20 August 1977. 200+ were seen at Astonbury on 12 September 1980. 200 were seen at Fairlands Valley Lakes between 21 September and 2 October 1982. The largest flock of recent times is the 40 seen at Chesfield Park on 10 September 2014.

In recent years House Martins have seriously declined locally, the 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from nine of the town’s tetrads, the 1992 Atlas from five and, the 2012 Atlas from three. Their numbers are known to fluctuate, and they are vulnerable to bad weather whilst on migration. In recent years they have also suffered from the reduction of ponds and muddy places, which are important for gathering mud for nest building, and from a reduction of insects on which they feed.

The last local nesting was recorded at School Lane, Aston in 2022 with adults seen feeding young on 3 September.

The earliest spring arrival date at Stevenage is 1 April 2021 at Fairlands Valley Lakes. House Martins are one of the last summer visitors to leave in the autumn and have been seen in Stevenage in November on four occasions; one was seen on 12 November 1883, one seen flying past the Towers on 7 November 1975, one over Grace Way on 2 November 1980, and one in fog along the Hertford Road on 1 November 1986.

Being amongst the last summer visitors to migrate they often brood young late into the autumn. On 10 October 1966 a nest with young still being fed was found at the B.A.C. Factory (now MBDA) in Gunnels Wood Road, a pair with young were seen at the same site on 23 October 1967 and young birds were seen still being fed in a nest at the Old Town on 4 October 1975.

A feature of the past was birds seen gathering on telephone wires before migrating. 20 were seen on telephone wires in Whomerley Road on 28 September 1970.