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Purple Martin Houses and Accessories
From the Purple Martin Conservation Association:
Choose the Right Location
Martins have very specific space requirements. One of the main reasons people fail to attract martins is that they place their martin housing incorrectly. Martin housing should be in the center of the largest open spot available, about 30-120 feet from human housing. Place the housing where you can see it so you can enjoy watching and hearing the martins. There should be no trees within 40 feet, preferably 60 feet, of the housing. In the southern half of their breeding range, martins are less fussy about house placement, so sometimes housing can be within 25 feet of trees and still attract martins. But the farther housing is placed from trees, the better. Housing height should be in the range of 10-17 feet. Don't attach wires to the house or pole, especially if they lead to trees, buildings, or the ground. Predators can use the wires to access the housing.
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Put Up Manageable Housing
Your chances for success will be better if your housing is easy to manage. Choose a pole that telescopes, or is equipped with a winch or rope & pulley, and housing that has easy access to the compartments. Houses and gourds should be white, or a light color. White housing attracts martins best and reflects sunlight, keeping nestlings cooler. Cavity floor dimensions should be at least 6" x 6", but larger cavities (7" x 12") are preferred by martins, and offer better protection from predators and rain. Unfortunately, larger compartments are also attractive to European Starlings, but a modification to the entrance hole will minimize starling problems. A round entrance hole of 2-1/8" is preferred by the martins, but they will use a range from 1-3/4" to 2-3/8." Make sure there is adequate ventilation and drainage in each nest cavity. Many houses can be improved if need be. Add insulation to the attic, remodel interiors to offer double-size compartments, and add porch dividers to houses with shared porches. Dividers help keep males from claiming extra compartments, and can double occupancy rates. They also keep nestlings from wandering to other compartments where they can get lost and die, or steal food from younger nestlings, causing them to starve.
Increase Your Chances
A few things can be done to make your site more attractive to Purple
Martins. Offer a combination of houses and gourds. Play a dawnsong recording. Add a Purple Martin decoy or two. Place 1-2" of nesting material in the bottom of each compartment.
Supply These Aids
Crushed eggshell or oystershell is a valuable dietary supplement that supplies calcium and grit, and helps prevent calcium deficiencies in nestlings.
Offer it all season in an elevated platform feeder. Eggshells should be rinsed, dried thoroughly in a 200-degree oven (to kill bacteria), then crushed into small pieces. Landlords can supply nest material by scattering dried pine needles (long, soft ones such as White Pine), dry twigs, or a bale of straw in an open area. Create a supply of mud nearby for nest building. During martin-killing weather extremes, toss mealworms and crickets to your martins.
Worth The Effort
Learning to be both patient (in waiting to attract martins) and persistent (in controlling undesirable birds) during the lengthy time window that runs from the return of adults, most of which are not looking for new breeding sites, through the period when prospecting subadults would begin arriving, is a skill that not all prospective landlords have mastered. As a result of this lapse in efforts, their martin housing can end up full of aggressive nest-site competitors that drive off timid subadult martins. Most housing today lowers easily and opens up for trapping and control of starlings and House Sparrows. In addition, there are now several kinds of starling-resistant entrance holes widely available, and numerous kinds of traps for sparrows and starlings.
The PMCA recommends to open your housing up around the dates adult martins are first scheduled to begin arriving in your area, BUT ONLY IF you are willing to follow through with the practices listed here: Use starling-resistant entrance holes. Be relentless in controlling House Sparrows and starlings. We also recommend use of the vocalization recording.
Be prepared ahead of time to deal with native nest-site competitors, too, since Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Great Crested Flycatchers and House Wrens may show an interest in your martin houses and gourds. Have boxes and gourds up early for these desirable birds, and if necessary, briefly close martin housing to help "steer" these birds into the appropriate nesting places in your yard.
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