Purple Martin Houses

Purple Martins - their habitat, nesting habits and diet.

Purple Martins breed and call home the geographic area from southwestern British Columbia all the way south to Baja California, and from parts of British Columbia and Alberta to southern Ontario, New Brunswick and all the way south to Mexico and southern Florida.  Although local to the Rocky Mountains, these birds avoid most other mountain areas. Purple Martins winter in South America and Florida.  They prefer to live in grassy river valleys and cut over woodlands - usually near pools or open water, shores of lakes and marsh edges.  Purple Martins breed almost exclusively in artificial colonial martin houses.  In fact, Purple Martins are now largely dependant on man-made nesting houses. Purple Martins feed mostly on flying insects and few insects and spiders from the ground. Best of all, they feed on mosquitoes.  In fact, many people like purple martins hanging around because it has been said that these birds are able to eat "2,000 mosquitoes a day." While they do eat flying insects, you should not expect expect purple martins to rid your backyard of mosquitoes - they actually prefer dragonflies, insects which prey on mosquito larvae.

Increasing your chances of attracting Purple Martin birds.

If you want to increase your chances of attracting purple martins, then put up a house on the edge of a pond or river, surrounded by a field or lawn. Purple Martins need a radius of about 40 feet of unobstructed flying space around their houses. You will also need a house with a minimum of four large rooms - that's because Purple Martins like to nest in groups. The rooms should measure 6 inches or more on each side and the entrance hole should be 2 1/4 inches and should be about an inch and a half above the floor.
Ventilation and drainage are also important factors to consider. We recommend that before deciding on a house, you should think about the type of pole you're going to put it on. Purple Martins are most likely to occupy a house that's between ten and twenty feet off the ground.