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Purple Martins are Coming – Be Ready!
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Purple Martins are on their way north and looking for nesting sites. With their enchanting song and effective insect removal efforts – especially when there are chicks in the summer – these birds are a delight to have around. And if you want to help birds, Purple Martins are a needy species. These social birds nest in communities, and their natural nesting sites are in dead-wood tree and cacti cavities. But these sites are becoming very difficult to find and now east of the Rockies, they are forced to rely entirely on human-provided housing. Once the first birds arrive at their nesting sites, they will begin searching for the right spot, or return to last year’s good one, and begin nest building within a few weeks of arrival. With Purple Martins, timing is everything. It’s essential to put the house or gourds up just after the scouts arrive as they are looking for nesting sites. Any earlier, and sparrows will move in. Too late, and the martins will have moved on.
Purple Martins like the safety that human activity brings, so you can situate your martin house not too far from your own home, with about a 30 foot radius of open area at the base of the house so the birds can see predators easily. To get a better sense of timing, checkout the Purple Martin Scout Arrival Study. You can even see where Purple Martins have been reported near you or on their way.
For any info you might want about these fast flying insectivores, visit Purplemartin.org where you can find tips on hosting a successful Purple Martin colony.
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