The House Martin is the species that symbolizes spring and migration. Its plumage is dark blue on top and white on the underside. Its head is adorned with a rust-red forehead and throat. Its long, forked tail is one of its distinctive features. It feeds on insects, which it catches in flight. It is a long-distance migrant that spends the winter in Central Africa and South Africa. It lives in the countryside, in open areas such as fields, meadows, and farmland, where it may build its nest in barns, stables, and farmhouses. It nests in the spring and summer, using mud and straw to build cup-shaped nests. Adults are very monogamous and return to the same nesting site every year.