For those who live in the eastern United States, with early spring comes the anxiously awaited arrival of these chatty and musical warm weather residents: the purple martins.
It’s true that purple martins return to their favorite sites every year; getting them to return is the easy part. What would-be landlords have difficulty with is getting the martins to come and accept the housing in the first place. Use these tips to ensure success when attracting purple martins.
Make Room for More
Purple martins live in colonies of 2 to 200 so providing enough housing for plenty of feathered neighbors is an absolute must. Successful purple martin landlords start with 3-4 units and add more as the colony expands. The trick is to get that first pair of martins to nest; once one pair is established others will follow, so landlords must attract the first pair by carefully choosing the location of their housing.
Location, Location, Location
Although purple martins are not choosy about the materials that their homes are made from, (visit this site for more specific information about purple martin bird houses) they are very choosy about their home location. Purple martin homes must be mounted on a pole or post at least 10 feet above the ground. The houses should not be attached to a tree because predators will climb the tree and attack the nest; the birds know this and will stay away from tree-mounted houses. It's best to mount the houses on special poles designed to raise and lower the houses for easy cleaning and observation.
Land and Water - Martin Housing Requirements
Purple martin homes need to be positioned in an open area so they can easily sail in for a clean landing from at least two directions. For best results place the housing in the middle of the biggest open area on the site.
Martins like to be near water, and are most attracted to housing located within a half mile of a lake or other large body of water. The absolutely ideal placement for a martin house would be at the end of a dock right over the water, this site fulfills the birds requirements for both and open area and proximity to water.
Close to Home
Unlike other birds, purple martins like to be around people. Their homes should be placed close to human housing. Purple martins want to see evidence of human activity near their nests because to a purple martin, human activity means protection from predators.
With Purple Martin Housing, Size Matters
Most experts agree that purple martin houses must be at least 6” x 6”. However, recent research suggests that this size is too small for most purple martins to lay a full clutch of eggs and is not roomy enough to raise young. Prospective landlords should err on the side of larger housing, with a 7’ x 12” floor size being the ideal.
Other ways to attract purple martins include: playing purple martin songs, using martin decoys to fool birds into thinking the new housing is an established colony, and hanging super-sized gourd shaped homes for the martins.
Providing housing for these beautiful birds is a rewarding hobby for bird lovers, nature buffs, scouting groups, and for families. Their cheerful presence is enjoyed by just about anyone, and once they are established, they will bring joy for many years to come.
Francine Morrissette - Francine Morrissette is a freelance writer from southern Maine who has published articles on a wide range of topics including health, ...
Join the Conversation