More than 40 beetle species have been recorded in common house martin nests, but most are either typical of the locality or found in the nests of other birds.
Despite the general aggressiveness of the martin, it tolerates sympatric common house martins, perhaps because the large numbers of that highly colonial species provide an early warning of predators.
Its speed and aerobatic skills enable it to take swallows and even swifts on the wing, and barn swallows or house martins have a characteristic hobby alarm call.