Attracting Purple Martins
Purple Martins are very particular about where they nest and what they nest in. The ideal martin house is constructed of wood and has 6" x 12" compartments. An excellent martin house is the T-14 Purple Martin House. Purple Martins also have great success in natural and plastic gourds that are at least 10" in diameter. Excluder Gourds are an excellent manufactured plastic gourd.
The house must be able to raise and lower vertically (without tipping) via a winch, cable and pulley, allowing landlords to access the nesting cavities. Housing should be placed about 16' high and in a completely open location at least 60' from any obstructions such as trees or buildings. Beyond 60', there should also be several clear flight paths. Housing should be placed in a mowed area near human activity. A water source (pond, lake, or river) should be within two miles. Even with an ideal location, colony activation may take several years. After Purple Martins have nested successfully and survived migration, they will return!
Colony Management
Actively managing a colony greatly increases Purple Martin nesting success. Colony management involves preparing the housing before the Purple Martin's return each spring, as well as conducting routine maintenance in the fall. During the nesting season, the housing should be lowered every five to seven days to check on each nest thus allowing the landlord to quickly detect potential problems.
Before the Purple Martins arrive in early April, it is recommended that a handful of dried White Pine needles be placed in each compartment. Hawk/owl guards should also be placed on the houses and gourds. During cool and wet springs, Purple Martin starvation can be prevented by feeding them crickets and scramled eggs.
If the native Tree Swallow or Blue Bird inhabits the martin house, they can be convinced to move if their own appropriate nesting boxes are placed about 35' from the martin housing. However, the non-native and invasive English House Sparrow and European Starling must be eliminated from the site. these birds significantly reduce the nesting success of Purple Martins and may cause site abandonment. Sparrows clog compartments with bulky nests and may also destroy eggs and nestlings. Sparrows can be eliminated by trapping or shooting. Starings can be a danger to Purple Martins when in competition for a nesting cavity by attacking with their strong beaks. Starlings can be controlled through the use of Starling-Resistant Entrance Holes (SREH), trapping or shooting. Controlling sparrows and starlings is a must for a successful martin colony.
During the nesting cycle, blowfly larvae and mites parasitize Purple Martin nestlings, thereby decreasing their chance of survival. To protect the nestlings, nest replacements should be conducted when they are around 10 and 20 days old. This involves removing the young and placing them in a bucket lined with dried White Pine needles. Then, discarding the old nest and any parasites found within, dried White Pine needles are placed back into the compartment. The needles should be formed into a bowl and then the young placed back into the nesting cavity.
After each fall migration, all nests should be removed and discarded. The nesting comparmtents should be cleaned witha mild 10% bleach solution. The housing should be stored for the winter or the holes can simply be plugged to protect the housing from the elements. |
