White will reflect the sunlight and heat.īe sure your Purple Martin house can be easily lowered and raised. Therefore, only white or other bright reflective colors should be used. The inside of a nesting box can become extremely hot in the summer. They may also provide some protection from Great-horned Owl attacks. Compartments 6 inches wide and up to 12 inches deep provide more room and encourage larger clutch sizes. Larger and deeper compartments are probably desirable. When purchasing a wooden or aluminum martin house be sure the nesting box itself is at least 6″x 6″ in size and that each nest area can be easily accessed.
#Purple martin house location update
The Purple Martin Conservation Association reported in the Purple Martin Update that some data suggests that natural gourds have a higher nesting success rate than the aluminum houses, with wooden houses falling somewhere in the middle. Some people believe that the gourds attract fewer House Sparrows and starlings which are less adept at entering the gourds as they sway in the wind. You can increase the number of individual apartments as the size of the colony grows.īoth the gourd and the apartment are about equally successful in attracting purple martins and in maintaining the colony. The same martins will be returning to your house year after year. House sparrows and starlings are aggressive interlopers and a large house can be more difficult to manage until the martin colony has become established. If you are just starting out it may be advisable to avoid the larger houses (keep the 8-10 minimum in mind). One, two and multiple story versions are available. The houses may be plastic, metal or wooden. There are many styles of the purple martin apartment house. Poles and mounting arms are available for producing different and attractive patterns. Darker colors can create excessively high temperatures inside the nest. Plastic gourds should be white, not painted purple. Some plastic gourds can be snapped apart for easy cleaning. The crescent shape will discourage starlings from using the gourd. Some plastic gourds have an insert for the hole to create a crescent-shaped opening. Both natural gourds (left) and plastic gourds are suitable for martins.
0 kommentar(er)
