This lens is about how to attract purple martin birds to your backyard. Purple martins are a highly desirable yard bird and watching the purple martin in your yard is fun, interesting, and stress relieving. I hope this helps you attract purple martins year after year.
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Attracting Purple Martins
The Purple Martin is considered one of the most desirable ?yard birds,? in the United States. Watchers simply adore these incredibly beautiful birds. This comes as no surprise as one is easily captivated by the virtually hypnotic purple sheen that seems to engulf the dark feathers of this amazing creature. Many would love to have Purple Martins nesting in their area, but very few realize how to attract them. Those who do figure out the correct methods are simply not willing to invest the time and attentiveness required to compel and keep these aviary beauties. For those who are willing to make a few small sacrifices, however, there are a few insider tips that can bring Purple Martins and entice them to make your yard their home.
First, one must take into consideration the fact that Purple Martins are largely insect feeders. This can be both a hindrance as well as a blessing. The hindrance comes in the form that when winter finally rolls around, the Purple Martin's food supply begins to rapidly subside. During this time, the Martins will either choose another location until the insect population grows again or, in some cases, simply die of starvation. The blessing comes in the form of pest control. The insects of choice for Purple Martins are of the flying variety, though mosquitoes are not a part of their diet. For landowners who are overrun with other annoying flying insects however, the Purple Martin can keep the bug population under control.
With this in mind, do not use pesticides in your yard if you wish to attract and keep Purple Martins. Let the birds do the work for you. If you kill off all the flying insects, then you are getting rid of the largest reason that this breed of bird will have for making your area its' home.
When building the ideal bird house to attract your Purple Martins, there are a number of aspects to consider. First, think about the size of these birds. Make the house large enough that the bird will fit with enough room for two birds plus baby birds. Purple Martins are strangely original in their mating habits. Where there is a male, there is generally a female. With this in mind, your birds will need enough space for an entire family. However, you do not need to build it too large. If the Purple Martins decide to spend the winter, their only source of warmth will be body heat. The smaller the space, the less body heat it will take to warm it. If you are not exactly excited about building a purple martin bird house there are plenty available for purchase online.
Next, take into account the location in which you plan to put the bird house. There are two important factors here. One is location and the other is height. For the location aspect, find the largest open area you can locate, such as in the very center of your yard. These birds demand large open spaces so that they may hunt. On the height subject, make the house as high as possible, as the Purple Martins most effective form of attack on flying insects is from above.
Another good way to enforce your to entice local Purple Martins is to attract flying insects. Find out what kind of flying insects are prominent in your area and what these insects eat. Then, either near the bird house that you have constructed or even at a lower level on the bird house pole, put a hummingbird feeder or regular bird feeder filled with whatever these bugs eat. This will attract the bugs which, in turn, will attract the Purple Martins.
Lastly, be very watchful over the Purple Martins once they have chosen your yard as a home. Certain other wildlife can actually run your newfound birds off. The most common are those that target medium to smaller birds as food, such as snakes and owls.
With just a little time and a little more effort on a weekly basis, you can have one of the most sought after birds as your own personal yard residents.
The Purple Martin is considered one of the most desirable ?yard birds,? in the United States. Watchers simply adore these incredibly beautiful birds. This comes as no surprise as one is easily captivated by the virtually hypnotic purple sheen that seems to engulf the dark feathers of this amazing creature. Many would love to have Purple Martins nesting in their area, but very few realize how to attract them. Those who do figure out the correct methods are simply not willing to invest the time and attentiveness required to compel and keep these aviary beauties. For those who are willing to make a few small sacrifices, however, there are a few insider tips that can bring Purple Martins and entice them to make your yard their home.
First, one must take into consideration the fact that Purple Martins are largely insect feeders. This can be both a hindrance as well as a blessing. The hindrance comes in the form that when winter finally rolls around, the Purple Martin's food supply begins to rapidly subside. During this time, the Martins will either choose another location until the insect population grows again or, in some cases, simply die of starvation. The blessing comes in the form of pest control. The insects of choice for Purple Martins are of the flying variety, though mosquitoes are not a part of their diet. For landowners who are overrun with other annoying flying insects however, the Purple Martin can keep the bug population under control.
With this in mind, do not use pesticides in your yard if you wish to attract and keep Purple Martins. Let the birds do the work for you. If you kill off all the flying insects, then you are getting rid of the largest reason that this breed of bird will have for making your area its' home.
When building the ideal bird house to attract your Purple Martins, there are a number of aspects to consider. First, think about the size of these birds. Make the house large enough that the bird will fit with enough room for two birds plus baby birds. Purple Martins are strangely original in their mating habits. Where there is a male, there is generally a female. With this in mind, your birds will need enough space for an entire family. However, you do not need to build it too large. If the Purple Martins decide to spend the winter, their only source of warmth will be body heat. The smaller the space, the less body heat it will take to warm it. If you are not exactly excited about building a purple martin bird house there are plenty available for purchase online.
Next, take into account the location in which you plan to put the bird house. There are two important factors here. One is location and the other is height. For the location aspect, find the largest open area you can locate, such as in the very center of your yard. These birds demand large open spaces so that they may hunt. On the height subject, make the house as high as possible, as the Purple Martins most effective form of attack on flying insects is from above.
Another good way to enforce your to entice local Purple Martins is to attract flying insects. Find out what kind of flying insects are prominent in your area and what these insects eat. Then, either near the bird house that you have constructed or even at a lower level on the bird house pole, put a hummingbird feeder or regular bird feeder filled with whatever these bugs eat. This will attract the bugs which, in turn, will attract the Purple Martins.
Lastly, be very watchful over the Purple Martins once they have chosen your yard as a home. Certain other wildlife can actually run your newfound birds off. The most common are those that target medium to smaller birds as food, such as snakes and owls.
With just a little time and a little more effort on a weekly basis, you can have one of the most sought after birds as your own personal yard residents.
by YourBirdOasis
I am a bird enthusiast and have created this lens as an informational resource for backyard birders. (more)
