![]() These birds have all shown steep population declines in the past few decades. The species is part of a group of birds known as aerial insectivores-birds that feed on airborne insects-which includes swifts, swallows, the Chuck-will's-widow, and the Olive-sided Flycatcher, to name a few. Several people have asked me what kind of birds those are.The Purple Martin, North America's largest swallow, is a swift and skilled flyer: The birds eat, drink, and even bathe on the wing. It's kind of cheery having them up on the houses during the winter, when the purple martins are gone. Mine have held up to two years of being outside, and they look as good as new. They're plastic and practically indestructible. You may not be fooling the purple martins into thinking that live birds are inhabiting your colony, but a couple of purple martin decoys sure do get their attention. When I put on the martin songs, young purple martins were there within an hour, sitting on top of the housing and joining in with their own songs.Īnd let your colony LOOK convincing, too! Before that, I had never seen purple martins at my gourds. I was amazed when I first played this song. It's the Daytime Chatter CD, and it sounds like a busy purple martin colony. Some people play another CD during the day. Then if they like what they find, they may stay and found your purple martin colony. ![]() The young males flying high overhead in predawn darkness hear the songs and come down to investigate. Play the distinctive dawnsong of the adult males near your martine housing at 3 or 4 A.M. Playing Purple martin Dawnsong is a way to get a young purple martin's attention. Here are two CDs that will help give the impression that your birdhouses already host a thriving colony. The most attractive thing to purple martins about a potential colony. Home FAQ Tips Birdbaths Stories DVDs Software Optics Bookstore OrdersĪttract Purple martins with their own Songs! Painting of Native Americans with purple martins © PMCA Images of birds in flight © 2008 Michael and Diane Porter SuperGourds - the best housing for purple martins How to Succeed as a Purple Martin Landlord Here's hoping you attract purple martins right away. (See sidebar at right.)īest of success with your purple martin colony. You might also want to put a couple of purple martin decoys on some of your houses just to enhance the illusion that there is a colony there. That's how you get them to notice your purple martin houses in the first place. ![]() (That would lead to inbreeding, which would weaken the colony.) Most seek a home in a different colony.Īnd when they hear the dawn song of the adult males, they fly down and take a look. Most of them don't go back to the colony where they hatched. Young purple martins, returning from the south for the first time, are looking for a place to nest. (See sidebar at top right of this page.) In a thriving colony, adult males fly up high above the housing very early in the morning and sing a special dawn song. You can help attract young birds by playing purple martin songs early If you maintain it well, it can keep going all your life. The couple will be the patriarch and matriarch of your colony. Martin to accept your housing, he will try to get a female to accept him.Īnd that is the great day, when the first female lays the first egg in your housing. (Sometimes you can attract adults, if their previous housing has fallen into neglect and sparrows or starlings have been allowed to move in.)īirds are looking for a place to nest for the first time, and They are going straight back to their previous nests. (The adult males look all blue-black, like Chuck Abare's photo at right.) They usually won't use your new martin house, because ( Chuck's website has loads of information about purple martins.) But they don'tĪrrive until the adults have been here for over a month.Īdult purple martins, birds who are two or more years old, They look mottled like Chuck Abare's photo at left. Young males who were hatched last year are in their first nesting season. Or if it's already in place, keep the holes plugged until ![]() Up until four to six weeks after the first purple martinsĪrrive. Others succeed the first day the house is up. House up for several years before attracting the desired residents. Getting purple martins to accept a new martin house is a different All you have to do is clean it out inįall, protect it from starlings and sparrows, and perhaps repaint Once purple martins have used a martin house, they will return ![]()
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