Purple Martin Forum

One way that desert martins adapt is by nesting later in the summer, in sync with the monsoon season, with its daily thunderstorms. That is best time for insect abundance to feed their young. I think something like Icynene foam between inner and outer nestbox walls would be a good idea - thick layer...

Eastern Bluebird, this is the male in your photo. Put up a single nestbox for them nearby. Since your martins have site fidelity, the bluebirds might fuss at them but will not be able to harm or evict them. Bluebirds are native songbirds, protected same as martins, so you cannot trap them, remove ne...

I had an 'unpleasant' experience with neighbor due to early AM playing of dawnsong. I lived in small community, my lot was 1-1/2 acres, behind it was community little league fields, then wet brushy area and major creek. Many backyards ran along on two sides, like a letter L. It was an ideal site for...

Two options - first, replace it in nest. If you have records from conducting weekly nest checks, it will help determine which nest is missing one bird. If you don't have records, choose a nest with young the same size, and add it to that nest. Don't overload a nest - if there are 5 or 6 young alread...

Above is better, in a nice puffball shape. Above is better because some snakes cannot get by the guard, will never make it up to the netting - meaning fewer snakes for you to remove.

Keep doing decoys, air horns, be present outside when you can - but airsoft pellets hitting a hawk could injure it, and would be illegal to shoot at hawks anyway. You can discharge an air rifle to scare them with noise but aim it down to the ground, or to hit a fence, something safe to shoot at. Hav...

Are the parents still around? If something happened to them, the nestlings end up starving to death. Can you take a photo of insects in nest and share it?

thanks for these suggestions - I will pass them along to my friend!

I have a dear friend who is moving and has someone buying her martin homes, she cannot take them with her. Her problem is potential buyer wants the concrete around poles removed from the ground, or poles (make that ground stakes) cut off. Concrete removal, I suggested seeing if local landscaper/yard...

You might try an in-cavity trap, one that fits inside the T-14. Place it only in a room with an active house sparrow nest. Push some of sparrow nest back further, put trap in, and put a bit of sparrow nest material in front of trap, too. link to pmca traps: https://www.purplemartin.org/shop/47/traps...

I recall a PMCA study where eggs were measured, I think we measured every egg laid that season at PMCA housing in Edinboro, PA. I know there was a range of sizes, but differences were slight, and no significant size difference was found between ASY and SY eggs.

Without a good ID, it's hard to give you a firm answer. Try to get a photo of the bird, or of the nest it made in the gourd. There is a cavity-nesting warbler that might nest in a gourd, prothonotary warbler - and if you have one, let it stay. Flycatchers, wrens, titmice, chickadees, plus bluebirds ...

I didn't think opossums were a danger in regard to rabies, googled and found this: Answer: Any mammal can get rabies. However, the chance of rabies in an opossum is EXTREMELY RARE. This may have something to do with the opossum's low body temperature (94-97º F) making it difficult for the virus to s...

Do you have a predator guard, like a stovepipe piece that wobbles, on your system poles? Those would stop raccoons and any other climbing predators

Gary, it's wonderful that you are caring for martins here to begin with, and what a good way to overcome the current restrictions. Twenty-three out of 24 gourds occupied and holding eggs is terrific! Thank you for doing this. I remember when you and your wife used to host a martin viewing event for ...

Please see the thread, Predator Guards, by Kathy Freeze. There are some good links there and great information that should help you.

Time to move this up, because many folks are getting their first martins about now. Every pole needs a guard to stop raccoons, and some need netting as well, for snakes.

flyin lowe, I know the photo you mean, and want to mention one thing - that guard is not high enough on pole, way too low. Yes, larger snakes can bypass guards that are placed higher, and they climb using seams in guards, rivet heads, latches, hinges - all the stuff we need to make the guards remova...

Could you share a photo of the guards? not sure what you mean by flange, flange out. Usually it's recommended that the top of guard is not less than 4 ft above ground, but that is to stop larger raccoons. The snakes that raid martin systems & other bird houses are usually rat snakes, and they ca...

Osprey used to be called Fish Hawks - that gives a good suggestion that the martins and you have nothing to fear. There was, probably still is, a martin site near Christmas, Florida, where martins are nesting in old woodpecker cavities in palm trees. Very nearby is an active Osprey nest - perhaps ne...