Still Haven't Attracted Martins? Go Through This Checklist
(by Kent Justus)
To all of our PM Landlord Hopefuls out there, and I know there are many... we haven't forgotten about you. We are all pulling for you THIS VERY SEASON to attract your first martins. There is definitely a formula for success when establishing a new colony. I would ask you to answer the following questions to ensure that you have done everything possible to lure in these elusive swallows:
1) HAVE YOU PROVIDED ADEQUATE AND VARIED HOUSING? I highly recommend for those folks trying to establish a colony for the first time that they offer a combination of an apartment-style martin house along with LARGE (11" diameter and larger), NATURAL gourds. While the plastic gourds are improving, I have found from personal experience that they still cannot hold a candle to natural gourds. I have also found that the more cavities you offer, the better your chances of attracting martins. I would not offer less than a minimum of 10 compartments (including Trio housing converted from 12 to 6 compartments, along with 4 gourds) when just getting started.
2) HAVE YOU CONSTRUCTED MANMADE NESTS IN THE COMPARTMENTS? A great attraction device when luring in martins to nest for the first time is to provide a nest in the compartments waiting for them to take possession. Martins are like people when it comes to housing accommodations. Would you rather move into a home with nothing in it, or a home already furnished with the finest furniture and appliances for free?? I highly recommend building a nest pad approximately 1.5" thick of materials that martins would NATURALLY use to construct a nest (not cedar shavings) such as dry pine needles, dry leaves, small pieces of pine bark, or short twigs. And to really make this "nest" attractive, smear a little wet mud to the BOTTOM OUTSIDE edge of the entrance hole, and put liquid mud into a paper cup and pour some INTO the INSIDE of the entrance hole to replicate the mud "dam" that martins will build in the fronts of their nest. Others have testified here on the forum that this has done the trick for them.
3) ARE YOU WAGING WAR ON NON-NATIVE ENGLISH HOUSE
SPARROWS AND EUROPEAN STARLINGS (YELLOW BEAKS)? Any person out there
that is NOT actively trapping and/or shooting these introduced, non-native pests
of the avian 
world
from your unoccupied martin housing/gourds will probably end up without success,
unless you happen to live in the deep South where there are many more martins
that are currently living in inadequate housing. If you are serious about become
a good martin landlord, you must do everything in your power to prevent these
avian rats from becoming established in your martin housing. If you are thinking
to yourself, "well, I hope that the martins can GET ALONG with a few sparrows
or Starlings", you don't need to be trying to attract martins. House Sparrows
will puncture and throw martin eggs from housing and peck nestlings to DEATH.
Starlings are even worse. They will actively seek and take over, by force, martin
housing that is occupied by martins, cornering martins in the compartments and
pecking their eyes out and killing them.
4) ARE YOU PLAYING THE PURPLE MARTIN "DAWNSONG"
TAPE OR CD AND DEPLOYING PURPLE MARTIN DECOYS? The Dawnsong have proven
to be one of the 
most
powerful tools used today to attract martins to a new site. It is the recording
of ASY (after second year), or adult black male martins singing a song in the
predawn hours that is used to lure subadult martins (those that were raised
last year) into their colony site. Anyone that uses this tape can tell you that
IT WORKS. While you cannot guarantee that martins will STAY after investigating
your housing, at least half the battle is won by just getting
them there to check things out. And, if you have taken the other steps mentioned
above by creating manmade nests complete with mud dams, your chances are even
greater of getting a few martins to stay and nest. Purple Martin decoys are
believed to further enhance your chances of attracting martins by adding to
the illusion of genuine colony site activity. Decoys, Dawnsong tapes & CD's
can be ordered from the PMCA at
http://www.purplemartin.org/shop/index.php?cPath=27
5) FROM A BIRDSEYE VIEW, IS YOUR MARTIN HOUSING PLACED IN THE MOST OPEN FLIGHT PATH AREA OF YOUR PROPERTY? Contrary to most of the general "rules" for martin housing placement, I feel that you can somewhat cheat on the "place housing within 100 feet of your own home" rule and put it further away if it gets the housing in a more open area. Martins are very wary of nesting in housing close to tall trees because they can harbor two of their deadliest enemies, the Cooper's and Sharp-shinned hawks. It is better, in my opinion, to place the housing even further away from your own home if it gets it more in the open. I would also avoid placing it too close to barns or other outbuildings as hawks also use these to conceal their swift approach when launching attacks. Look at your yard as a martin would. Where can I swoop in from that will give me the most open flight path available? Then, place your housing accordingly. Additionally, it is always a bonus to place housing near telephone wires for perching/preening and also near water (lake or large pond). This is where the martins want the housing to be placed so they can easily access the water for bathing/drinking.
6) ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE PURPLE MARTIN CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION? Knowledge is power, even in the Purple Martin interest. The Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) is BY FAR the best organization out there to become involved with. They are a non-profit group headed by an Ornithologist and the PMCA's goal is to study martin behavior and preserve the Purple Martin as one of the most beautiful breeding species of passerine bird in North America. You benefit by hearing of the most cutting-edge martin management tools and techniques that are available anywhere. And, membership dues (Join) are used in martin research projects and educational grants. Arm yourself with the best martin information available and join the PMCA today.
I truly believe that if you have followed at least steps 1-5 listed above, you have won MORE than half the battle. Now, you must just exercise patience and think about your setup. Acquire some VERY LARGE natural gourds and add them to your setup if you are missing them. This is what worked for me in the past. Also, I highly advise against using SREH (Starling-resistant entrance hole) doors on martin housing if you are just getting started. Martins investigating a new site are easily discouraged and intimidated, so never introduce SREH holes until the martins are established nesting. However, you may want to leave on the SREH doors to prevent Starlings from becoming established in the larger compartments of modified housing (6"x12") UNTIL you see martins coming to investigate. By this time, you should have already discouraged Starlings from hanging around the housing. Lastly, you need to have confidence that you will be successful, and yet patient at the same time. Martin populations around North America vary greatly from one geographic region to the next. However, if you have done everything right, the question is WHEN will you successfully attract martins instead of WILL I ever attract them.
One last thought - find a local friend that is also into martins and that has a colony. This will allow you to get your martin "fix" while anxiously awaiting for some to choose your site. If there is anything that you would like to ask us here on the PM Forum, please do so. I know that I am here to help YOU become successful, and I know others here feel the same way.
Kent Justus (Little Rock, Arkansas)
