Mar 02
2008
For Rent: Purple Martin Houses
Lovely country location just yards from the Chesapeake Bay.
Easy dining in your own hay field. Stylish gourd-style homes. Immediate occupancy.
What do you think? Will I get any takers?
We were very fortunate to have bluebirds set up house in our first year as bird landlords. I am hoping that the rural habitat is as enticing to purple martins as it has been to the bluebirds.
If you’re familiar with the site of these gourd houses or the condo-style houses you see atop tall poles in open spaces but don’t know what they’re for, these are purple martin houses. Purple martins in the east rely almost exclusively on human-provided housing. They prefer tall nesting sites located within 100 feet of a human dwelling and at least 40 feet away from trees and other tall structures where predators can hide.
The purple martins migrate up from South America very early in the season, usually returning to their homes from previous years.
Like some of those aggravating folks who line up even before the plane arrives at Southwest Airlines, the purple martins migrate so early because of the competition for housing. The earlier the bird arrives the greater the chance of getting the location they find desirable.
New colonies like mine are usually first visited and used by birds hatched the previous year who are searching for their own homes. These “scouts” arrive four to six weeks later than the mature purple martins.
According to the scout reports from the Purple Martin Conservation Association, the adult birds are nearly here to our area of Southern Maryland. Well, my houses are ready and I’m playing the dawn song on the outdoor speakers, just in case there are some martins looking for some new digs.
So, we are now open for business. Pass the word.
Reminder: Please register you response to the survey at the top right of this page!
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
Hope you get lots of hungry apartment dwellers to eat the mosquitoes in your yard.~~Dee
Hi Dee,
I WISH they ate mosquitoes. I have been reading that less than 3% of purple martins’ diets come from mosquitoes because they usually hunt high and mosquitoes live near the ground.
Perhaps that 3% will make a difference though!
Robin at Bumblebee
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
I’d love to have a condominium complex for purple martins, but sadly I can’t get 100 feet from any structures here in my suburban neighborhood!
I love yours made of gourds.
Hi Carol,
Actually, you might still be able to have martins. They want to be within 100 feet, not 100 feet away from a structure. Martins live very well in suburban areas too.
Robin at Bumblebee
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I really like those gourd-shaped houses much better than the standard Purple Martin condo. They have a sculptural quality.
I agree. But I decided on the gourd houses after talking with experienced landlords who said that when given the option–gourds and condos together–the birds inhabited the gourds first. Plus, if I were a bird, I would prefer my own gourd!
Robin at Bumblebee
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I love these gourd houses. They are indeed sculptural. We live in deep country and don’t do much in the way of building bird houses, but we do find many nests in the trees and shrubs. I always think I’d like to learn more about birds, but I never get much further than being able to distinguish a big bird from a little bird.
Hi Commonweeder,
Hah! That’s funny–big bird/little bird. For a long time, I mostly recognized LBJs–little brown jobs. I started with one bird that frequents most often. I found a very simple book–from the Stan Tekiela series for each state. It provides easy photos and brief descriptions. First one, then the second, then the third. Then, before you know it, you know all the birds at your feeders!
Robin at Bumblebee
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:41 pm
What a wonderful place for the purple martins! Certainly THEY would love it! You’ll have to keep us posted!
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Fabulous martin complex, Robin. Good luck to you. I’ll be anxious to hear how things progress once the scouts arrive in your area.
To Carol, I also want to add that I have visited several successful purple martin colonies in the middle of two nearby towns and one of them was completely OPPOSITE of what the books say an ideal habitat should be, so don’t give up hope. The biggest disadvantage of being in town is that it’s a greater battle discouraging house sparrows and starlings.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Uumm, how much is the rent? :-) Lovely bit of real estate you have there.
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Just love reading about martins. Nice blog and I hope you continue to update on how your season went. Feel free to visit my purple martin blog anytime.
Best of luck to Carol getting martins. I too know lots of folks who have martins on small lots in town. PurpleMartins-R-Us.com has all the requirements to put up martin houses if you need more info.