Providing The Perfect Home For The Purple Martin

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The Purple Martin is the largest of the North American swallows and is a favorite of bird watchers and keepers due to their beautiful color, incredible acrobatics, and beautiful song. The bird has a unique relationship with man in their habitat of North America.

Purple Martins are special in the sense that they are dependent on man made housing and upkeep to survive. European Starlings and House Sparrows were introduced to North America from overseas, and these aggressive birds encroached on Purple Martin homes. Purple Martins have been driven out of their natural habitats by these invaders and only the efforts of humans allow for Purple Martins to breed and thrive. Most Purple Martins live east of the Rockies in the United States, though some areas north and west of the Rockies have Purple Martin populations as well.

Purple Martin birdhouses are usually constructed from plastic, aluminum, or wood. The houses are painted white white to avoid overheating on hot summer days, though proper insulation is important for warmth during colder weather. Houses are typically shaped in the traditional birdhouse style, though with several compartments, or are comprised of multiple gourds, whether fake or real. Whatever type of house is selected, suitable room must be available for nesting materials.

Purple Martin birdhouses are traditionally kept on telescopic poles that are elevated high above the ground that helps protect against earthbound predators. Poles will often have guards in place to prevent more agile creatures from ascending the pole to feast on the young birds inside. The poles are telescopic because this allows for human keepers to lower the pole to examine the nests and monitor the colony to ensure to invading birds have tried to overtake the house. Poles are used as Purple Martins need a large swath of space to fly to and from their home. Any trees that are too close by and too large can cause the house to be undesirable for Purple Martins.

Purple Martin birdhouses should have adequate overhanging protection against rain, yet still enough ventilation to keep proper air flow. Compartments should be deep enough for nests to be built away from the entrance to provide additional protection from predators and the elements.

The Purple Martin is such a unique bird and has such a unique relationship with humanity that any bird fancier living in the Purple Martin's breeding range should take advantage of the opportunity to house these beautiful creatures.

About the Author:
(http://www.martinsandmore.com/) One of the greatest rewards you reap as a bird lover is developing a long-term relationship and if you can attract them to your purple martin birdhouses, they'll return year after year to house their nestlings, plus you'll probably see fewer pesky insects.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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