Purple Martins in Georgia
Wildlife Specialist.
For starters, the purple martin is not a bird that calls Georgia home year round. In fact, the bird spends the winter in South America and then will arrive in South Georgia by early February. Martins can reach our area of the state by mid- February. Purple martins will stay here until fall. Older martins will return to old nesting areas annually, while the younger birds seek new nesting spots. Once a nesting box is used, it will normally have martins call it home annually. New housing established will eventually be used by younger birds seeking a nesting spot. Mengak notes that contrary to legend, early arriving scouts are not checking to see if the area is safe, but these birds are the older birds returning first to start nesting. The younger birds will come next. If martins stop coming to your property, they simply have decided the area is not compatible for nesting any longer. If you want martins, you need to provide some sort of housing for them.
Martins will use a variety of resources when making a nest such as weeds, twigs, leaves and even grass. The female can lay up to eight eggs. The incubation process is 15- 18 days prior to hatching. Martins are monogamous for the breeding season, according to Mengak and both parents will feed and care for the baby birds. After hatching, the babies will stay in the nest for 3- 4 weeks. Even after the baby birds leave the nest, they can come back for up to 10 days before they leave finally.
Purple martins feed and drink while they are in flight. One thing to keep in mind is the diet of a purple martin. They will eat stinkbugs, dragonflies, midges, mayflies, leafhoppers, June bugs, Japanese beetles, butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, cicadas, wasps, flying ants and other insects, according to Mengak. One thing not high on their meal list is mosquitoes. It is noted that one sevenyear study, conducted by the Purple Martin Conservation Association in Pennsylvania, did not find any mosquitoes in their diet.
Remember, to attract purple martins to your property, you need to provide housing for them. Martins will nest in a variety of housing options. On home and farm sites, it was very common to see a number of dried gourds hanging on a pole with cross arms. The natural gourds are hard to find today.
There are plastic gourd options available if you can’t find natural gourds. In some situations, jugs or man- made houses on wagon wheels or poles with cross arms will work, according to Dr. Mengak. Many folk will prefer to offer the wooden or aluminum martin apartment concept. You can buy these multiple housing concepts at a variety of stores. You can also make your own purple martin apartment type houses. Let me know and I can send you the dimensions.
Where you put the martin houses can help, too. Purple martins like houses in open areas. If you can, do not put a martin house closer than 40 feet from a tree or 30 feet from a building. Mengak suggests if you live on a lake, the end of a boat dock is a great place for a martin apartment. Purple martins like to nest together, so widely scattered houses for solitary pairs of birds normally will not work. Mengak adds that since purple martins are social, with birds liking to visit on telephone and electrical wires, it is a good idea to put houses near utility lines. Putting near open water is a good option, too. Open areas will also work since the birds feed on flying insects. Open areas make it easier for the birds to catch their prey.
When you put martin houses up, it is suggested to put a pinch of sulfur dust in each compartment to help control mites. The pole height can be anywhere from 15- 30 feet tall. The lower the vegetation, the lower the pole can be. Mengak adds to make the pole where you can take down the house in the fall and store for the winter. If you are not going to store the boxes, you will need to be able to clean out the nesting compartments in a safe fashion and even plug the entry holes to keep other birds out.
For more information, contact UGA ExtensionGordon County at 706- 629- 8685 or email gbowman@uga.edu.