Now that I’ve read up on the lives and behavioral patterns of purple martins, I must admit I’m a bit jealous. I had always enjoyed gazing at their violet-hued plumage and listening to their striking courtship vocalizations, but that was the extent of it. Then I found out that these winged wonders take to the skies in the fall and fly all the way to the Southern Hemisphere; with the weather the way it is up here in November, I can hardly blame them.
The majority of purple martins don’t arrive back in the States until spring, but it’s always a good plan to have your purple martin bird houses set up and ready to go by February. Since martins live in large groups, their houses are built accordingly. The homes should be placed out in a yard by February at the latest to catch the first few groups of martins on their way back up north. Although it takes persistence and more than a little luck to attract these birds, once they’ve found your specialized house they will return again and again.
Tags: backyard birdhouse, martin house