Purple Martin Bird!

Believe it or not, about one million people in North Americans partake in putting up Purple Martin birdhouses and Purple Martin gourds. However, many of those well meaning landlords are unable to attract breeding Purple Martins. We hope to shed a little light on this skill, whether you are thinking about becoming a Purple Martin landlord or already are one.

1. EDUCATE YOURSELF FIRST. Don’t make the mistakes that others have of buying or building Purple Martin Houses before you do your research. You may realize later, after spending much time, money and materials, that you have sheds, trees or your house that are too close or enclosed for Purple Martins or your Purple Martin Houses are too difficult to manage by the way you have them set up. There are some really good sources out on the net to help with this. You can visit www.purplemartin.org as a good starter reference and I do believe you can speak with other landlords that house Purple Martin Birds.

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION. You have heard it said before in business and other venues, “Location, location, location”. This is a very important detail that many beginning landlords overlook when starting out to set up Purple Martin gourds and/ or a Purple Martin House. One of the major reasons people fail to attract Purple Martins is that they place the Martin housing incorrectly. Purple Martins have very specific space requirements. Purple Martin Birdhouses should be in the center of the largest open spot available, about 30 – 120 feet from your house or other human houses. Place the housing where you can see it so you can enjoy the sites and sounds of the Purple Martin. There should be no trees near the Purple Martin gourd or house within 40 feet and it is better if you are able to go 60 feet. The farther the Purple Martin houses are from trees the better. Housing height should be approximately 10 – 15 feet from the ground. Refrain from attaching any cords from the house to the ground or from the house to a tree to prevent predator attacks. Go to http://www.birdhousenow.com/report/ for more detail.

3. ERECT PURPLE MARTIN HOUSES THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND MANAGE. One of the best ways to increase your success to inhabit Purple Martins in your neck of the woods is to choose a Purple Martin pole that telescopes or that has a lanyard and hosing that has easy access to compartments. Try and avoid purchasing houses that only allows roof access for cleaning or only through entrance holes. Your Purple Martin houses and gourds should be white in color or a light color as this will best attract the Purple Martin birds. This also will help to keep the nest cooler and reflects sunlight.

4. PURPLE MARTIN HOUSES MUST HAVE SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS TO BE INHABITED. This is VERY important and not to be compromised at all. the compartment floor dimensions of your Purple Martin House should be at least 6? X 6?, but larger compartments are a great preference by the Purple Martins and offer a better protection from local predators and rain. These dimentions run at 7? X 12? and this is what the Purple Martin bird likes best.

A. The height of the compartment to consider when planning for your Purple Martin house plans, is to ensure they are 6? – 7?. Place the entrace holes 1? above the floor. an entrace hole of 2-1/8? is preferred, but a range from 1-7/8? to 2- 1/4?.

B. Ventilation and drainage is very important features to have in your Purple Martin bird house.

Many Purple Martin house plans and pre-fabricated Purple Martin houses are made to incorrect dimensions. If you are not experiencing success with your Martins, check your dimentions and modify them where you need to.

Improvement to existing or pre fabricated Purple Martin houses is not a hard thing. You may add things such as insulation to the attic, add porch dividers which help to keep males from claiming extra compartments and doubling occupancy rates, as well as remodeling interiors to offer double-size compartments. These dividers 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.

**For more information on purchasing housing for your Purple Martins, simply visit: http://www.wildlife-houses.com/index.php?cPath=27&&page=2

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