PURPLE MARTINS HOUSE PLACEMENT

A large number of North American maintain purple martins housing. Unfortunately, many of these people are unable to attract breeding martins. The advice given here will increase your chance of attracting martins.

Houses placed too close to the wood line or in yards that are too enclosed. The main reason people fail to attract martins is because they don't place their houses in proper purple martin habitat. Besides preferring their houses to be placed within thirty to hundred feet of human housing, purple martins also have very specific aerial space requirements. The air space immediately around the housing, should be unobstructed from trees in at least a couple of directions, so that they can fly on a straight path to and from the housing. There should be no trees taller than the martin housing within 40 feet of it, but 60 feet is better. The farther the martin housing is placed from trees the better. If your yard is not in this 40-foot rule, try mounting the housing higher relative to the trees, moving the martin housing to a more open space, or, as a last resort, trim or remove some of the trees.

Purple martins have been known to build their nest in cavities of dead or dying trees, holes in cliffs, or just about anywhere from three to thirty feet high. But the most popular nesting place for the purple martin is in your own back yard in the houses you construct for them. However since the purple martin is now facing the threat of having their homes appropriated by starlings, people have altered the design of the martin birdhouse so that it has a lidded or crescent shape doorway. This makes it more difficult for the larger birds to squat in side these martin birdhouse and take over. Martin nests are made from leaves, grass, straw and twigs and the eggs are white and unmarked.

Many people build purple martin houses to attract martins early in the spring, which are generally well liked by the birds. They prefer the condominium or villas type houses. Most people like to paint there bird house white as white keeps the house cooler and is attractive to the birds. Aluminum and plastic is used also in the commercially built bird house, but wood is by far the best choice for keeping cool. The best height to mount your bird house is from fifteen to twenty feet in the air, but lower heights to ten feet will work in wide open spaces. Always protect your housing from predators, don't assume that because you never see any predators they're not around raccoons, snakes, and owls raids birdhouses at night. Most success in occupancy occur when the house are placed closer to human houses (within 100' and away from tree lines at least 40').