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Wild Bird Feeders,
Bird Houses,
Bird Baths and more
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Purple Martin
Description: The Purple Martin is the largest North American Swallow and a very popular tenant of our backyards, primarily because of its voracious appetite for insects.. While they are monogamous once they pair up, unlike other birds, several pairs will nest in a single box with multiple compartments. They breed from Alberta to New Brunswick, south to Texas and Florida as well as somelocations along the Pacific Coast, and into Mexico. It winters in South America, east of the Andes.
Other Names: Gourd Martin, Western Martin, House Martin and Black Martin
Color: The Purple Martin is completely a beautiful glossy purple-black. The female can be distinguished by its duller back with contrasting gray breast.
Sound: The Purple Martin's song is a series of musical chirps interspersed with raspy twitters. Listen!
Preferred Environment: The Purple Martin breeds wherever nest houses are provided it likes to be near water and requires large open areas.
Nesting Habits: The male and female Purple Martin cooperate in constructing the nest out of mud, grass, plant stems and twigs. They build in birdhouses, tree holes and, in the west, a hole in a cactus or in crevices of cliffs or buildings like other swallows.
Food Preference: Purple Martins are voracious insect-eaters.
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Featured Product:
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How to Attract Purple Martins
Martins are often referred to as "natural pest control" and they're also useful in scaring off vultures, small hawks and crows. They are voracious insect eaters and as such, won't visit your feeders, but housing for martins is very important to the success of this species. Martins prefer nesting in close proximity to humans. They use man made housing exclusively and are very particular about wanting to nest near their human benefactors.
The biggest consideration for your Martins is a proper habitat. Ideally, a Martin house should be in a large open area, approximately 60-150 feet or less from a human's dwelling and close to a good source of water. Since they are strictly insect eaters, they need open spaces to find and dive for prey. You don't want trees any higher than your martin house within 50-60 feet of the house because they tend to harbor preditors. The height of the housing can be anywhere from 10-20 feet but be sure to keep tall bushes, shrubs and vines away from the pole.
Martin houses and should be painted white, or a light pastel color; your trim can be any color. White housing seems to attract martins best because it reflects the heat of the sun, keeping nestlings cooler. If you have trouble attracting them to your yard, try using purple martin decoys placed on the house to help create the appearance of a nesting colony. Once you have attracted the martins, they should return year after year.
Suggested Purple Martin Houses
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