Purple Martin Forum

Hello Ryan, I couldn't get martins at my home so I started a colony at the local golf course and it has gone very well so far. I might try to attract some birds to my home some time in the future however the habitat is not ideal so I may not try. I enjoy being able to drive down to road to manage a ...

Hello Aiden: I manage a colony at a local golf course near me and I must say that is has been a wonderful experience. It has been a lot of work at times with setting it up and getting rid of the sparrows however it has been well worth it. I would erect a combination of gourds and houses to broaden t...

Congratulations Billie, getting that first visit from a purple martin is definitely very exciting. It is a good sign that they checked out your site and now you know that you are on their radar. I wish you luck this season. Great job!

I totally disagree about the nastiness of these birds. They are arguably the most agile of the swallow family and destroy many harmful insects all summer. Their nests are certainly messy but I have noticed that this is very common when swallows reproduce. Housekeeping is virtually non-existent espec...

Thanks Dave, this helps me out a lot. Good luck this year with the martins. Thanks again.

I found this old thread via a google search. I plan on reinforcing the trio castle post and understand the correct width but approximately how long should the post be? I would imagine it should be somewhat less than six feet but by how much? Thanks for your input.

Thank you for the reply DornCounty. I totally agree with your opinion on Erva, they were actually quite rude on the phone when the rep tried to answer my question. The castle I bought is fantastic though and I am told will last for decades. I am trying to attract martins for the first time so I have...

Hello friends. I installed a trio 24 room castle at the local golf course. I was wondering if anyone knew how much distance there should be from the base of the house to the ground. I have mine at 13 feet and am thinking this may be too high to prevent wind damage. I called the manufacturer, Erva, a...

I am in the process of installing a trio castle at the local golf course. I would like to attach a few Troyer gourds underneath the birdhouse so the martins would have more of a selection in housing and to also make it more attractive to them. My question is, what is the best way to hang Troyer gour...

Thanks a lot Archer and William. I appreciate your responses. The martins are due back here in Ontario the beginning of April so I will have plenty of time relocate the colony to a better location. I had a feeling you were going to say that. Your advice is priceless.

Hello Friends. I am a prospective landlord and will be trying my luck this spring at a local golf course. The ground socket for the PMC-24 has already been installed and is ready to go for spring. The reason I am posting in this forum is to obtain some advice about a dilemma I am facing. Last summer...