Purple Martin Forum

Get the spring loaded trap. Bait it with white feathers. You’ll catch all of them.

Met a gut many years ago in TN at Martin fest. He said he had a banded male return to the same compartment 8 straight years. Obviously , that would be very unusual.

I have pm sitting on shepherd hooks w no gourds- I’m almost certain they are the same birds. Hang a gourd and they go in in a minute.

Yes, my error. My Shepard’s hooks are 6 feet off the ground. Put them up for tree swallows initially. I don’t think anything can stop an accipiter. I’ve seen them attack from below, sit on housing at dawn and dusk waiting for them, seen them take young, seen them catch Martin’s in air when mobbing t...

I have numerous nest in sheppards hooks. Gourds. Prob 6” off ground.

Once you get colony established- don’t think it matters. I’m in cent MO

Barns with hay lofts are rapidly a thing of the past. Nesting on a floor joist of a hay loft, a Barn Swallow was safe from predators (black snakes, cats, coons). A snake can't climb out horizontally and BS were safe. Anyway, I've put up nest cups in the porch of my house. Had one pair nest briefly b...

My dad got me a bb gun before I was in kindergarten. Told me to keep the sparrows and starlings off the martin house while he was away at work. I was born with the hunting gene...all I needed to hear. As a kid (1970s), would sit in lawn chair with bb gun in summer, listening to the Cardinals on KMOX...

Nothing works. Just that simple. Accipiters will catch them coming in to roost in the eve or land on house in early morn and wait for them to leave. They will catch them feeding young, or gathering nest material. these hawks used to have an 'unofficial' season on them when there were 10s of thousand...

Keep starlings alive. Clip flight feathers off one wing. Give tgem somethimg dry and warm to go into at night. Have feed and water.

If you trap in nestbox trap- put them in v trap with one wing flight feathers trimmed. They will attract more. Good luck.

Paint NB trap white and paint fake black holes on three sides.

I’ve actually seen starlings try to go in fake hole

got some video and some pics of it. I saw tree swallows fighting over a gourd for several minutes a couple of days ago or so. When it was over, I said I wished I would have videoed that. This morn, under my gourd rack (all SREH), I noticed a big fight going on the ground. Figured two PMs. Got my cam...

Good luck all in the 2019 season

Get a nest box trap and the spring loaded wire trap. Hang under pole and bait with feathers.

You will catch every sparrow and statling in the neighborhood.

The best box trap - just place near trees or buildings.

I would not even see starlings grazing in neighborhood- caught them all.

Been a few years since I ordered any. Any recommendations??

I put up nest cups under car port. No luck. Anybody use a electronic caller. Tape exist. Thx in advance.

Thanks John! I know of two sites near by with 6-7 houses that have no PMs...have lost the all due to no management. I know one hanging on, 6 or 7 houses, completely tree encroached. Defies logic but site fidelity is amazing. My first pair, went into a round hole gourd on a shepard's hook. It is 5' o...

Looking for ideas. Thx in advance.

Looking for ideas. Thx in advance.

[ Barn Swallows nested in floor joists of Hay Lofts. These are practically predator proof. Cats, black snakes, nothing could get to them. It was dark so blue jays, crows, woodpeckers woud not go after them. Black snakes cannot climb horizontally. They were nesting as if suspended in mid air. Saw a U...

Got a trio and numerous other gourds on rack. Choose this one??

Had some outstanding genes that I had kept for years but lost them in a move...left them in a fridge:(.

Looking for some gourd seeds that have been used for horizontal PM gourds. Thick shells, long neck....