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In the East, Purple Martins are attracted to houses with multiple apartments to establish colonies. This house opens on four sides for easy cleaning and mounts securely on a pole.
RANGE: Breeds from British Columbia, central interior Canada and Nova Scotia southward, but absent from interior western mountains and Great Basin. Winters in tropics.
HABITAT: Seeks open woodlands, residential areas and agricultural land.. Dimensions: (18"h x 17½"w x 17½"d
"America's Most Wanted Birds" are a welcome addition to any bird lover's backyard, especially those with insect or mosquito problems. But Purple Martins bring much more than natural insect reduction to your yard. These birds are truly people oriented and want to be around us and in fact are literally dependent on us for housing. Their happiness is so spontaneous and exuberant and their aerial displays so magnificent, it's not hard to grasp why we admire them so much. Many people feel, the martin's sense of exuberance and cheer is in return for offering them a nice place to live and raise their family. They undoubtedly bring a sense of peace and happiness to all those fortunate enough to attract them.
Critical to success in attracting martins is location, location, location! Unfortunately, many martin houses sit vacant across the country due to the landlord choosing a poor location or worse yet allowing non-native species like sparrows or starlings to take over the nests. When martins assess a potential house for nesting, it is critical that it is located far enough from trees or limbs to ensure that predators can't easily access it and that other birds are not nesting in them. Additionally, the martins love an open space to perform their aerial acrobats so make sure the house is placed in an open space, a minimum of 30 feet from the closest overhanging limbs or branches and if possible within 40 feet of your own home.
