Purple Martin Bird Houses

See also: Purple Martin Gourd Bird Houses, Other Purple Martin Bird Houses, All Bird Houses

Purple martins are much loved visitors to North America, where they go to breed every spring and summer. One remarkable thing about these fork tailed swallows is that they depend on human intervention for their housing needs. In other words, purple martin bird houses are more than a desirable residence for the purple martins; they are an essential to their survival in North America.

If you are excited about birds visiting and breeding in your garden, and are lucky enough to live in an area where purple martins are summer visitors, then you can have many hours of joy every day knowing that you are also providing an important service. The purple martins will not come down to feed in the garden, but you can watch them fly off to feed on high flying insects, and return to base to feed their hungry young. That is, if you have one or more purple martin bird houses.

(Please click on any image for more information of these and other bird houses, and to buy from the Bird Shed.)

Later in the season, you can watch the baby purple martins learn to fly as they depart from the nests you provide. So, having purple martin bird houses is much more than adding garden decor; they are like a living entertainment centre for those lazy summer afternoons in the garden. You can relax, knowing that you are doing the world a big favour by helping to perpetuate the purple martin species.

Purple martin boxes come in many forms, but you need to bear in mind that they breed in colonies, so putting up a single bird box for one nest is no help. The other thing to consider is that the purple martin needs height; they will only breed if well clear of the ground.

Despite those limitations, purple martin bird boxes come in many designs and have evolved to make the most of what the birds need. As you will see in the top picture, the height problem is easily overcome by the use of a pole. That particular example is the heritage pole system.

(Please click on any image for more information of these purple martin and other bird houses, and to buy from the Bird Shed.)

The second picture is of a 24 unit high rise purple martin apartment block. This majestic modern looking design comes from Heath. The same manufacturer also has a more traditional appearance for its wood bird houses, an example of which is the third picture.