The 2021 Purple Martin season has begun at the PMCA headquarters with our first scouts arriving on 4/14/2021.
Our first adult pair was spotted at our Rotary Pavilion Colony site.
More birds have arrived over the last week and we now have several pair at each of our colony sites.
We were very excited to see an adult female named “Jolene” return this year. Jolene was the star of our Live NestCam in the 2019 season. She laid seven eggs and they all successfully fledged! She has come back to the site where we stream the live feed so maybe she will be our mama bird on camera again this year – we will see!
We will monitor our colonies frequently to ensure no other bird species try to nest in the available cavities. There are several native and non-native birds that compete for nesting space with Purple Martins. House sparrows and European starlings are non-native and will aggressively take over a martin nest and protect the territory around the cavity they have chosen. Not only will they chase off Purple Martins, but they will destroy eggs, and potentially kill both nestlings and adult birds. Starlings can be kept out with the use of Starling Resistant Entrances, but unfortunately there is no way to keep the house sparrows out.
Wrens, Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds are native species that are also secondary cavity nesters. Even though they can live happily in the same area as a Purple Martin colony, they are too territorial to live alongside Purple Martins in the same housing. You can place single-unit houses for these native birds 30-50 feet away from martin housing.
Keeping your martin housing closed until martins are spotted in your area is a great tactic to keep other birds from taking over your colony. When Purple Martins migrate to your location, open 1-2 cavities and keep an eye on them. As more martins arrive, gradually open more cavities until you have enough open for the number of martins you have.
It is always an exciting time for everyone when the Purple Martins return home. We are looking forward to another great season! Stay tuned to our blog for updates on our colonies, ongoing research, and Live NestCam news!
Mercedes Leofsky
PMCA Field Biologist