The Purple Martin

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The Purple Martin is the largest member of the swallow family in North America. It is a slender bird measuring 7 to 7 ½ inches in length. As with most swallows, it has long wings and a wide beak. The tail is forked but not deeply. The male Purple Martins appear to be black in most lighting, but on bright sunny days, its plumage appears to be a bluish-black. The females are lighter in color with a pale gray throat and belly. Young males resemble the adult female. Their adult plumage surfaces by their second breeding season.

Purple Martins can be found all over North America. They are a migratory bird and start arriving in their breeding grounds in early spring. They are a social bird and nest in large houses designed to hold multiple pairs. One of the key factors in attracting a colony is the availability of water. Martin houses placed at the end of a dock usually attract a colony.

Purple Martins begin their southward migration within weeks of the fledglings leaving the nest. They gather in large flocks and slowly make their way to their winter grounds in South America.

Purple Martins are monogamous. The male and female build the nest out of mud, grass and twigs. The female lays one egg a day for two to seven days. She incubates the eggs for approximately 15 days. Both the male and the female work together to feed the young until the fledge 26 to 32 days after hatching. The young will stay close to their parents for another couple of weeks as they learn to hunt.

Purple Martins are one of the few birds dependent of man-made nesting sites. Unless the situation changes drastically, the same martin house will be used by the group year after year.

They are particular. The house has to be out in the open, and at least 30 feet from human habitation. If there are trees nearby that are taller than the house, the flock will look for other habitation. Nor can there be vines or bushes growing around the base of the stand.

Another major requirement is water. The martins will look for a reliable supply of water nearby. A birdbath will not be sufficient. If you live along a lake or river, consider yourself lucky. Put the martin house on a pole at the end of the dock and you have a better chance of attracting martins than the rest of us.

Purple Martins are aerial insectivores. Their diet is limited to flying insects which they catch in flight. Their diet includes butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, cicadas, bees, wasps, June bugs and of course, mosquitoes. The belief that a Purple Martin can eat 2,000 mosquitoes a day is true as well as false. They can eat 2,000 mosquitoes a day, but rarely do. A very small percentage of their diet consists of mosquitoes.

The Purple Martin's call is a series of loud, gurgling notes. They are social birds and chatter back and forth.

Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)

This book-audio package provides a unique introduction to fifty of the most familiar birds of North America and the songs they sing. Common Birds and Their Songs will be valuable to anyone interested in birds, from beginner to expert. It's the perfect gift for any birder - or anyone with a bird feeder.

1.The Purple Martin is a superb flyer. They alternate between short glides and rapid flapping. When in pursuit of an insect, they can readily change direction. When focused on its prey, it rarely looses its meal.

2.Nestlings are fed up to 60 times a day.

3.In isolated areas the Purple Martin may use their traditional nesting sites, abandoned woodpecker cavities, crevices along cliffs, and hollow trees.

4.Depended on insects for food, the Purple Martins are vulnerable to starvation during extended periods of cool/damp weather.