In the United States, this is typically the eastern ½ of the country. The first thing you need to know is whether you live within the breeding range of Progne subis subis - the Purple Martin that is attracted to man built housing. In the West, martins mainly still nest the old-fashioned way—in woodpecker holes. Putting up a Purple Martin house is like installing a miniature neighborhood in your backyard. Find out more about nest boxes on All About Birdhouses, where you'll find plans for building a Purple Martin nest box. When they live in backyards they often live in human made houses. The Purple Martin is the largest of the eight swallow species that regularly occur in Texas (Ray 2001). Martins will nest only one time per year in the spring. They're glossy deep blue, almost black with a forked tail. There are purple martins, house martins, and sand martins. Purple Martins exhibit a very high level of site fidelity. Mengak suggests if you live on a lake, the end of a boat dock is a great place for a martin apartment. If you are looking for information about Ontario’s Purple Martin, you’ve arrived at the right place. What do I feed martins to attract them? Our largest swallows, Purple Martins perform aerial acrobatics to snap up flying insects. As elsewhere east of the Rocky Mountains, Purple Martins in Texas have abandoned their ancestral habit of nesting in natural cavities (Hill 1992, Hill 1993); they breed almost exclusively in backyard birdhouses (Brown 1997). In the United States, this is typically the eastern ½ of the country. Here's one trick of the trade. Early native Americans prized the purple martin and offered houses for them in the form of hollowed out gourds. Most housing consists of plastic or hollowed-out natural gourds or conventional houses. Purple Martin enthusiasts are … The housing should be painted white. How can I keep the sparrows out of the martin houses? Frequently asked questions about Purple Martins . ... What is the life cycle of the fledglings? Are you looking to attract and house Purple Martins? There are purple martins, house martins, and sand martins. Consequently, the Purple Martin's migratory routes, the southern edge of its breeding range, the extent of its wintering range, and its extralimital occurrence are not known with certainty. Progne subis. Native sparrows do not use cavities to nest in, preferring the open limbs of bushes and trees. Nothing! If sparrows are nesting in a cavity of a purple martin house, it is certain that it is the English House Sparrow. Most people welcome Purple Martin neighbors, as these birds are agile hunters and eat large quantities of winged insects. When to Put up Purple Martin Housing. Purple martins are a bird of the people. Purple martins aren't purple at all. Put up a Purple Martin house in your backyard, and you just might be treated to a close-up look at these engaging birds all through the breeding season. Attach a guard to keep predators from raiding eggs and young. Even beyond the nesting season, purple martins commonly establish roost sites in and around human-created structures. If you live in the eastern half of the United States and you provide an appealing enough living environment, you just might have some Purple Martins nest in your backyard during the summer. Throughout most of their range, martins are completely dependent on human-created nesting structures. They live in towns, parks, along waterfronts, in fields, wetlands and in backyards. They're plastic and practically indestructible. Are you looking to attract and house Purple Martins? There is a bird that is called martin and it is a type of swallow. In the East, dark, glossy-blue males and brown females will peer from the entrances and chirp from the rooftops all summer. Ontario Purple Martin Association. The first thing you need to know is whether you live within the breeding range of Progne subis subis - the Purple Martin that is attracted to man built housing. Where Do They Live/ Habitat/ Housing Purple martins are found in eastern North America (American Bird Conservancy). (However, contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes do not form a large part of their diet.) There is a bird that is called martin and it is a type of swallow. ... You may not be fooling the purple martins into thinking that live birds are inhabiting your colony, but a couple of purple martin decoys sure do get their attention. Surviving on a diet consisting exclusively of flying insects, the Purple Martin is not well suited to the climatic regime of middle and northern North America. In order to maintain a purple martin colony, these two species must be controlled. Purple Martins are large broad-chested swallows that are known for their iridescent dark blue-purple color.