![]() This can only be accomplished with a good winch or pulley system. Winch or pulley system – Colonies should be monitored every 5 to 7 days.You will not have this problem with a square pole. If their compartment was originally facing west and housing is raised so it faces north, they may become confused as to whose young are which. Round cross section poles can cause parents to become disoriented if housing is not raised to proper compass point. Pole design – Poles with a 2″ or 3″ square cross section are much preferred.A climbing raccoon or snake will devastate a colony in no time and these predators can easily climb any wooden or metal pole. Baffle – The most common reason Purple Martins abandon colonies is depredation by predators.Vegetation – Keep bushes and vines away from housing to discourage climbing predators.Height– Housing should be raised 10 to 20 feet from the ground. The biology of their shorter legs and streamlined body allows them to enter while the European Starlings cannot (fun to watch them try though). Purple Martins readily take to these entrances. You can spend a lot of time using inbox traps to capture them or you can exclude them with Conley II entrances. Starling Resistant Entry Holes – Non-native European Starlings can readily enter housing with standard round 2 1/8″ diameter holes.Non-native House Sparrows cannot be allowed to nest in a Purple Martin colony. Inbox trapping – I am proactive when it comes to native cavity nest compartments, only installing boxes or gourds that have inbox traps available and at the ready.I place soft white pine needles in all compartments at the beginning of nesting season. The newer vertical gourd has a tunnel entrance that provides additional protection from avian predators. Although I have Purple Martins using both metal houses and gourds, plastic Troyer gourds are my personal preference. Providing a larger floor area of 7″ X 12″ is preferred for standard metal house compartments. Design – Housing or gourds should be white.Equipment Purple Martin Hatchling Housing Both species are aerial insectivores, but the Tree Swallow hunts smaller insects closer to the ground whereas the Purple Martin gleans larger ones in the higher realms. I believe that the activity of their smaller swallow cousins has helped attract Purple Martins to these areas. Tree Swallow colonies are established by installing boxes 25 yards apart in a grid formation or around the perimeter of a pond. Four of the sites that I monitor are located within Tree Swallow colonies. I theorize that I may have unwittingly employed another form of social attraction. I was surprised as I had never used these techniques, but had no problem attracting them in areas with proper habitat. He had successfully employed the social attraction techniques of playing recorded dawn song and setting out Purple Martin decoys on the housing. He told me he had finally attracted Purple Martins after 30 years of trying. He was a renowned Bluebirder, winning the OBS Blue Feather Award in 2007. Social AttractionĪ few years back, I had the privilege of working the Ohio Bluebird Society booth at the Ohio State Fair with Michael Worley. There should be no trees taller than their housing for at least 40 feet. Areas near water produce a lot of flying insects. Open habitat is needed for good insect hunting. Consider all the mouths they will have to feed when rearing their young. ![]() Their diet is comprised solely of flying insects which they catch in flight. They require a relatively open area, preferably adjacent to a pond or lake. The most important consideration in attracting Purple Martins is habitat. Here are Madame WingNut’s tips for attracting and managing Purple Martins: Attraction Habitat Purple Martin Eggs ![]() In 2013, I provided weekly monitoring of 154 Purple Martin nest compartments at 5 different sites, fledging 439 Purple Martins. Madame WingNut has spread her wings to manage a number of Purple Martin colonies in central and northern Ohio. Dick Tuttle provides nest sites for American Kestrels, Prothonotary Warblers and Ospreys. My good friend, Darlene Sillick, has branched out to work with raptors at our local rehabilitation center. I view the Eastern Bluebird as an “entry bird” for those of us involved in the rather addictive bird conservation culture. Most people involved in Eastern Bluebird conservation house and help other native cavity nesters throughout the years.
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