Facts About Purple Martins

Some Facts About Purple Martins and How to Attract Them

Hopefully the question of why there is a page titled ‘facts about purple martins‘ here on the If It Can Fly site is obvious! If not, watch some video on how these majestic birds fly and you’ll understand why we are obsessed. As we enjoy almost everything that can fly, it was just natural to learn how to attract purple martins to our backyard and watch them up close. Here, we’ll share info on our successes, a few images and several key resources including links to purple martin houses for sale.

A Quick Update:

Nothing stays the same and this author has said goodbye to the great state of Texas for a short time. With it, comes saying goodbye to a Purple Martin Housing Community 15 years in the nurturing and making. I know these great birds are in good hands, but the idea of not looking towards the skies in late February, looking for the first to arrive, stings a bit. Let’s see how far up and into the upper midwest these beautiful birds will fly. Hoping to nurture along a new community, once settled.

The Purple Martin obsession was truthfully passed down from generation to generation. The love of these birds, their gorgeous flying patterns, and the vast numbers of sounds they make will have you fixated. However, attracting purple martins take patience, the right type of spot in the yard and a few other things. The below image was taken late June of 2020. As you can see, the houses or gourds are full this season, but it took several years to build up to this point. In this photo, each gourd has a nest and each nest had 2 visible baby birds in them. This backyard was in full action!

Truthfully, the first year, we expected none, but we did get one pair. Fast forward 10+ years and it is time to add to the number of gourds!

Location

One of the most important facts about purple martins and their dwelling, is where to put it! Just like in real estate, the location of the bird house is the most important. The house must be out in the open so the purple martin can swoop in, see the lay of the land and make sure its safe, before landing. Here is a great resource to understand the location importance.

The House

There are many options here and lots of debate on the color and whether or not it is important. We experimented over the years with several different types of gourds and even a large multi-family bird house. The number one fact we learned was this: It is all about the entry hole to the dwelling. We attracted the martins with the round, multi-dwelling house, with single gourds and multiple gourds. However, it is way to easy for other birds, some which are predators to the purple martin, to come in and take over the nest after its complete. When that happened, the purple martin would not return. Take a look at the picture below. It shows a gourd with the special cut hole for entry. This hole is designed to discourage other birds from coming in and its perfect for the purple martin. This author was skeptical, but for the last 5 years, these have been hanging and they are 100% successful! There has never been a nest takeover since!

If you google Purple Martin Houses, you will find a wealth of resources and equipment. It is highly recommended you start with the above gourd, and then graduate up to the extremely fancy setups if it doesn’t meet your needs. It is by far, the one of the best Purple Martin Houses For Sale out there. For us, they work great! The same applies for the pole setup and extensions, etc. You can spend a lot of money if you want, but start with a simple setup, because its about attracting purple martins first and foremost. Once you have, they will return each year and then you can upgrade their dwelling. So, here is a link to get you well on your way with all that you might need. Amazon links stand the test of time better than eBay, but there are some good finds on eBay.

You should see this book in the above link as well. It is the primary reference we used, along with the Purple Martin Conservative Association.

The Purple Martin Calendar

The best reference is this graphic and descriptive page. Bookmark it.

Here in North Texas, we will see the first of the bunch arrive in early March. In June, we know there are many baby chicks in the gourds. By mid July, the last of those to learn to fly have done so and they are gone! From the above link, you will learn they “gather” with others for a few weeks and then they begin their trip to Brazil. If you can imagine the sounds reaching a frantic level as the parents are witnessing first flights! This sound builds and builds over the period of approximately 10 days in our yard. Then, without warning, its over….its quiet. Sometimes, they return during those gathering weeks and hangout on the pole, but we know it is just a visit. We also know, as long as we keep the area clear, the houses kept up, they will return the following February/March. And we Rinse and Repeat!

Cleaning, Adding and Raising them all back up!

In the Fall, it is maintenance time. This year, we have added four new gourds, extended the outreach by six inches on each side along with cleaning them out.

Here are a few pictures:

A few links on where I got the upgrade materials:

• The Extension Rods are 1/4″ by 36″
• The Set Collars are 1/4″ Inside Diameter
• The gourds can be found on Amazon: Purple Martin Houses For Sale

Summary: Start small, start with what works and then grow it from there. Oh, that reminds us, its time to order another set of gourds. We are adding on for next year! We might upgrade and experiment with a camera system in one gourd as well. If so, we will find a way to livestream it.

Directory of Purple Martin Info Pages