![]() Up north it may seem early, but the first Purple Martins have already arrived as far north as Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Durham, North Carolina, but there’s still time to attract your own Purple Martin nesting colony. North America's largest species of swallow, purple martins winter in the rainforests of Brazil before making up to a 7,000-mile migration north into the eastern United States and Canada, according to the Purple Martin Conservation Association.The Scout Arrival Map showing the dates of the northward migration of the first Purple Martins (courtesy of the PMCA). Martin gourds have greater occupancy rates than boxes with their crowded compartments. The 2.5-inch wide entrance should be 1 inch above the floor. Purple martin boxes should be placed 12 to 20 feet above the ground and with compartments with a minimum 6-by-6 inch floor space - 7-by-12 is best - with a depth of 6 inches. Controlling house sparrows and European starlings is also critical." Being a good martin landlord also means putting up predator guards to keep predators such as rat snakes, cats and raccoons from eating the birds. ![]() "Persons lucky enough to have martins should take care of them and manage the colonies to benefit the birds. This species is popular because its characteristic chatter and its habit of eating flying insects," he said. "Purple martins are declining, and everyone who wants martins will not get them. Martins may use the martin house to nest and roost, but when they are gone, other birds may use the box. Martin houses should be cleaned after each nesting season. Visit for more information.ĭavis said the houses need to be cleaned and in good repair so a bird that finds it will stay and nest. Their migration can be reported and tracked through a community science project called the Scout-Arrival Study, the release said. "Tracking the migration is not only fun, it also provides us with valuable information that helps inform our research and strengthen our efforts to make sure we're doing everything possible to sustain the population of these amazing birds." "The first purple martin arrivals of the season are always an exciting event," Siegrist said. Martins fly from Brazil to the same backyard and house that they used before," he said. The majority of purple martins will soon follow. "Purple martin scouts arrive first, looking for houses. ![]() ![]() When Europeans arrived they found purple martins nesting in gourd houses in Native American villages, Davis said in a news release. Purple martins are one of the 85 species of birds that are cavity nesters but some have adapted to using constructed houses. Now is the time to put up purple martin boxes or clean out the old ones, according to Jerry Wayne Davis, a local certified wildlife biologist. 14 in Lake City by a purple martin enthusiast - one of many throughout the eastern and central United States who track and report on the birds' annual migration on behalf of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, the organization said in a news release. In a sure sign that spring is not far behind, the first purple martins of the year have been spotted in Arkansas, according to Joe Siegrist, president of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |