Purple Martin Forum

This is short note for those of you who have trouble with bluebirds and tree swallows dominating your housing. Over the years I have often seen martins come to check out our housing, only to be chased away. Bbs and ts were never allowed to nest in the martin housing but they didn’t want martins arou...

This is short note for those of you who have trouble with bluebirds and tree swallows dominating your housing. Over the years I have often seen martins come to check out our housing, only to be chased away. Bbs and ts were never allowed to nest in the martin housing but they didn’t want martins arou...

How long does it take for the parents to go back into their gourd after a nest change? They go look in but won’t go back in. It’s been an hour and a half since their last feeding. I have been waiting six years for another chance and don’t want to lose them now. The chicks are eighteen days old. The ...

I think I would take the decoy down. If obviously bothers him a lot and why add all this stress to his life.

Great news, Dave. Our pair hatched three out of four eggs Monday. Now we have to worry about them for the next few weeks. Good luck!

We have a pair of sy birds who showed up with a few others about a month ago. They built a nest right away, laid four eggs and now have three nice chicks. There is a second pair of sy birds who I think were with the others who came earlier who come around a few times every day. I don’t believe they ...

I have several Troyer horizontal gourds that are not being used. Would it be okay To just swap out a ten day old gourd with a clean identical gourd? It would speed up the nest change and then I can clean out the dirty gourd later.

Has anyone ever done a test to see what the temperature is in a gourd when the temperature is 90 degrees and the sun is shining brightly?

Congratulations! We have a pair this year also. Eggs should hatch in a couple days. I hope the heat isn’t a problem. Good luck!

You do have a predictor guard, right? I have a pair after six years so I know a bit of your pain. They are due to hatch in the next few days.

I use all of the traps made. Balance, cone, S&S, two compartment, two traps made for a trio, and a V-Top. The big trap I set in a pasture of mine which is across the road from a big pig and dairy operation. I’m sitting here watching my one pair of martins come and go and have NO sparrows and starlin...

Now is the best time of the year to trap. Catch one and you get the whole family. Sounds heartless but sparrows are not nice either. If you have an empty trap, sprinkle ground corn or chicken feed next to your trap. When that runs out they will go for your corn in your trap. Put plent on all parts o...

Wow, you have done well! I had some tough luck but I am still hanging in there. Three spent the night last night and I often see four here. I am very happy and thankful.

They stay around most of the day. If I want to see them, usually if I walk out by the housing, they come flying back. Today I had three and sometimes four martins flying around.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Still here tonight!

To the person who said the one on the right is a female, I think I love you. Do you know what waiting ten years is like?

These two have been hanging by our place the last few days. Are they a pair or two sub adult males?

Hi Jan. Glad to hear you have the trap working. Great job!

I saw a martin hit my livestock fence a few years ago. I could have killed it but it bounced off and kept going. If it hit the barb just right it could impale itself.

How far is the house from your home? I'm thinking about moving mine out for next year but that will put me about 150 feet from our home. It would also move them to about 75 feet from the nearest tree.