I have a neighbor who is moving and I'm wondering if it's possible to move her PM house to my yard (approx. 200')
What time of day would be best and any tips on how to move it?
We live on a lake and my thoughts were to set the house on top of my pontoon boat and move it slowly along the shore line down to my yard so the birds can follow.
Another question is what is the best way to mount a house on the end of my boat house. Should it be a certain distance above the peak of the roof or can it extend out from the peak over the water. ( I thought this would save the roof from poop)
Thanks for your help.
Ru
How to move an occupied house
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Ed Svetich-WI
- Posts: 815
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:05 pm
- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
I suggest waiting a couple weeks to move the house. You mentioned that the birds could follow the house. If that means that the house is currently occupied, there is a substantial risk that any young would be abandoned by their parents. In Illinois, the martins should be gone by mid to late August at the latest. The wait would be worth it.
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Guest
I don't have Martins at my house so my hopes are to move them before the end of the seson so they will return to my location next year.
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
Dear Ru.
If you try to move an occupied PM house with nests, eggs and young, you will destroy all the Purple Martins have worked for and all the young will die. The adult Purple Martins will abandon the site and "never" return and you will still be left with a vacant PM house that is now standing on your property instead of your neighbors. For example, we must be careful when lowering PM housing so we don't change the position of the housing - it confuses the adults and can cause them to abandon the site. If you move it 200 ft away - they will never make the connection. They will fly around shrieking warning and alarm calls and then finally give up and go away.
If I were in your situation - I would wait until all the young have fledged and the site is vacant and then I would move it. When the colony comes back next season, they will be looking for the housing at your neighbors. It is then, that you will want to do all you can to attract them to the new location. Play Dawnsong and Daytime Chatter CDs, put up some decoys, and watch for them. If you let them complete their nest cycle, they will be back. If you disturb it (which is illegal BTW), they will not come back.
I think what you want to do is admirable. Attempting to move the colony so you can care for them is much better than leaving it abandoned. Good luck to you - keep us posted.
If you try to move an occupied PM house with nests, eggs and young, you will destroy all the Purple Martins have worked for and all the young will die. The adult Purple Martins will abandon the site and "never" return and you will still be left with a vacant PM house that is now standing on your property instead of your neighbors. For example, we must be careful when lowering PM housing so we don't change the position of the housing - it confuses the adults and can cause them to abandon the site. If you move it 200 ft away - they will never make the connection. They will fly around shrieking warning and alarm calls and then finally give up and go away.
If I were in your situation - I would wait until all the young have fledged and the site is vacant and then I would move it. When the colony comes back next season, they will be looking for the housing at your neighbors. It is then, that you will want to do all you can to attract them to the new location. Play Dawnsong and Daytime Chatter CDs, put up some decoys, and watch for them. If you let them complete their nest cycle, they will be back. If you disturb it (which is illegal BTW), they will not come back.
I think what you want to do is admirable. Attempting to move the colony so you can care for them is much better than leaving it abandoned. Good luck to you - keep us posted.
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne
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Guest
RU ; Wait 'til after the Season Ends (ie) after they go south,then move the Housing . They will find it next year,since you are only moving it 200 ft.
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Guest
Thanks everyone for the info you have been most helpful.
Hopefully I'll get them next year.
Hopefully I'll get them next year.
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Guest
Ru, I understand your point of wanting to move it now, to have a ready-made martin colony, but I agree with the others and strongly urge you to wait until after the martins leave for the year; then you can move the house to your place. I know it would be nice to have martins this year, but I know you don't want to risk having all the babies die because of the adults abandoning the house. I see that you have decided to wait, which I commend you for that. Try all those attraction techniques next spring that have been mentioned and I bet it won't take those martins long at all to find the house in its new location with you. Thanks for caring enough about them to wait. 
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Guest
RU ; By the Way; What type of House is ir & how many Cavities & how many occupied this year? Good Luck to you.
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TreeGreenwood
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:27 pm
- Location: Virginia/Catlett
Ru, you may want to put up a new house or gourd rack at your place. Right after fledging, PMs go visiting around the area. PMs will have already been to your place and may be even more likely to nest there nest year.
Take care,
Tree
Take care,
Tree