Purple Martins Are On The Move!

That means Martin landlords must start preparing to keep up with the arrival in the southern most parts of the eastern U.S. This migration will continue northward with colonies nesting primarily east of the Rockies through early May; sub-adults, those in their first breeding year, arrive 3 to 6 weeks after the adults. Once Martins nest at your location, they will come back every year if you manage the site properly. If you have ever considered attracting Purple Martins to nest near you, now is the time to learn what you need to know to be a successful Purple Martin landlord.

Purple Martins spend the non-breeding season in Brazil, then migrate to North America to nest. East of the Rockies they are totally dependent on human-supplied housing. West of the Rockies and in the deserts they largely nest in their ancestral ways, in abandoned woodpecker nest cavities. In the Pacific Northwest, Martins are beginning to use gourds and clusters of single-unit boxes for nesting.

The building of the nest out of mud, grass and twigs is shared equally by the male and female. The female lays two to seven pure white eggs at a rate of one egg per day. After about 15 days of incubating the clutch, the young hatch. Both parents feed the babies continuously for a period of 26-32 days until the young fledge. The young continue to be dependent on their parents for food and training for an additional one to two weeks after fledging. It is not uncommon for the fledglings to return to their human-supplied housing at night to sleep during this period.

Location of the martin housing is very important. They have very special aerial space requirements. Housing should be placed in the center of the most open space availableabout 30 to 120 feet from human housing. There should be no trees higher than the martin house within 40 feet. Keep tall bushes, shrubs and vines away from the pole.

Timing is important. Landlords of active sites can leave their housing completely closed up until the martins return and land on the housing. They exhibit a very high level of site fidelity. Once they have bred successfully at a specific location, the same individuals return year after year. No matter where you live, keep your housing open through August.. Martins may arrive and begin nesting as late as the end of June anywhere in North America, and in July and August this years young will be scouting for next years breeding sites.

Housing should be painted white, or a light pastel color; trim can be any color. White seems to attract martins best and it also reflects the heat of the sun, keeping nestlings cooler. Look for housing designed to raise and lower vertically, with easy access to compartments. Landlords may need to lower housing daily to evict nest-site competitors or to check on martin nestlings. Systems that telescope up and down or raise and lower with a pulley and winch are the most practical. Nest checks will not cause martins to abandon their nest or their colony site.

Predation is the most common reason martins abandon their colony site. It only takes one foray up a martin pole by a snake, raccoon, or squirrel, or a few visits by an owl, hawk or crow, to cause all the surviving birds to abandon the site. Landlords who do not conduct weekly nest checks may never know martins, nestlings, or eggs are disappearing. All martin poles (metal or wooden) should be equipped with pole guards.

Weather Extremes that affect insect availability can be tough since martins feed solely on flying insects. If poor weather persists for more than 2 or 3 days, martins begin to die of starvation.
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Becoming a landlord to Purple Martins should not be taken lightly but the rewards you will reap in watching their antics in your backyard as well as eating many insects will greatly enhance your quality of life.