Purple Martin Forum

I have installed and monitored a number of rigs here in Ohio and experimented with different entrances, housing/gourd styles, etc. If you have Starlings in your area, definitely install Starling resistant entrance. Interesting experiment we did with 24-gourd rig was to install Conley II entrances on...

I will be helping to install a few new Martin rigs within next couple of weeks. How close can I put them to existing rigs? I imagine I am asking for the distance between the outlying gourds on both rigs. How close can they be to each other?

thanks,
Paula Z

Glue traps are very dangerous if you have Purple Martins or other native cavity nesters on site. If any bird gets caught in these, they will not survive. The glue will be stuck on their feathers and impossible to get off. Instead, please consider having an inbox trap for any compartment you put up f...

I do a lot of Eastern Bluebird (EABL) trail and Purple Martin (PUMA) conservation work in central and northern Ohio. I also raise a lot of Tree Swallows in TRES grids and pond perimeter trails. I love working with all these species. All the PUMA rigs I monitor have at least one nestbox sited near th...

I do a LOT of House Sparrow (HOSP) trapping on Bluebird Trails. I can tell you from experience that removing HOSP nests does little to dissuade them. They will build again and again and will eventually (often sooner rather than later) kill native bird/eggs/young to take their compartment. All my hou...

If the nestlings are not too old (less than 22 days), I would lower the house as you do for regular 5 to 7 day nest checks. As long as other Purple Martins are not using the adjacent compartments, no harm in removing the porch dividers and giving them more room to exercise their wings as they grow. ...

I am having major hygiene problems with my Troyer horizontal super gourds. While the vertical gourds and aluminum housing have standard round entry holes, I have found it necessary to have Starling Resistent Entry Holes (SREH) on the horizontal gourds, as European Starlings (EUST) apparently LOVE tu...

Thank you also Mike. I will do at least one nest change and try for two. Mites don't bother me much. I am monitoring 122 EABL and TRES boxes this spring and the TRES often have mites. This is my third year hosting PUMA and I am still learning. Last summer the loss of many near-fledging birds was ter...

Thank you Mary for a very comprehensive explanation of what I need to do. A couple more questions on materials - do you use wood chips or pine needles? I know cedar chips are not recommended. If I use dry pine needles, should I briefly microwave material first to kill any insect eggs or should that ...

Last season, I lost quite a few chicks close to fledging. Weather was extremely hot and I am not sure what happened. If could have been mites or disease. Should I replace existing nesting material with clean nesting material after the eggs hatch? If so, at what point in development to landlords do t...

In Ohio, I have success trapping HOSP year round. EUST are trapped easily in winter months. My favorite trap is a repeating trap which uses bait to attract sparrows. The trap can handle either EUST or HOSP, but you need live decoys in it for it to really work well for you.