How Much Housing

[James Strickland FL]

How much housing at most should someone put up if they are starting a colony?

[Guest]

I would think that a small rack with 4-6 gourds for starters,use a rack that can be expanded to at least 12 in the future or a small house.The more the better doesn't apply here.If dollars are in abundance the sky is the limit tho.A large complex could be more readily seen by PM's but hawks could also see it and they know that this is a food factory.No need to get carried away.

dick

[Robbo]

Hi James,
I started out with a 12 unit wood house , your circumstances are different from mine. I found and was lucky to attract a few breeding pairs the first year . I also found it was alot work learning the ins and outs and still am! I think I did not not add on until the third or fourth year as the Martin's kept increasing each season. For me I have a backyard in Town/City, with a wide open area for the Martin's to make their mess so Iam at my peak Housing I believe for now . I am offering 2-T-14's and 8- BO-11's. I would think as Landlords and as neighbors, keep it responsible and keep it well maintained and attractive.
Rob.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!

[Doug Martin - PA]

James,

The sky is the limit as they say but....... let's see.

You are in a tough area to attract Martins so a nice little Martin town with a lot of gourds strung around would prove attractive.

My first three pairs all chose a gourd offered on a different pole in the ground, and hogged the whole group of cavities therein. I had five total poles in the ground spread out plus gourds strung out on a line. I later removed the line as it was just "eye candy". Sometimes that first male does not want anyone else on his gourd rack. Bachelor males also claimed the unused posts and stayed there aside from the pairs.

I found my site drew the most initial attention with multiple poles and gourd racks with a string of gourds also strung between a few shorter poles just to add to the festive atmosphere.

Now in high population areas a single house or gourd rack to start would be enough. For you, a small Martins village may prove more attractive. This is great for gourd manufactures, but not so good for you trying to explain why you have all these houses up but no Martins. People may think you're nuts. (If they don't already)

Getting a colony started is all about establishing an existing territory for a new species of bird. If this terrritory already belongs to other birds it is a greater battle. Multiple poles spread out in a general area may help with this potential problem. Does this territory currently belong to any other birds? That is the real question. Martins carve out a very large area for their species both on the land and in the air. Sometime you have to help them do this. First you will need to attract potential tennants. Multiple housing may help with this but spread it out some. If other birds claim it you are only adding to the problem. So only put up what you can protect for them.

[Carlton]

Hi Jim,

Personally I think an enlarged room Trio house and a few gourds with deep tunnels is plenty. I do not think that more is better.

I know when I attracted my first pair I had up a four room MSS-8 and a few gourds. That pair chose the Trio house, raised four young and started my colony. Last year I had 27 pairs.

Good luck this year.

Carl

[jldoll]

This is a hard question, I can tell you when I got my first martins.
I had a musselman house converted to six cavities. 6" x 12" with 4 gourds under it. 2 troyers with tunnels and cresents.
2 supper gourds with round entrances.
I also had a gourd rack on a telescoping pole with 4 excluder gourds with cresents, porch and owl guards.
My first year for martins 2009, I had two nesting pair. My first pair nested under the house in a supper gourd with the round enterance.
The segond nested in one of the excluder's on the 4 gourd rack it had cresents.
When you get your first martins. The first thing to do is. predator guard.

Good luck Jerry

[Sue P]

James, we had a metal house and four gourds up for quite a few years. We finally attracted our first martins when we put up a T14. Now we have eight gourds, 4 on the gourd rack and 4 underneat the T14. The gourds have been occupied, but never the T14. Sure doesn't make sense --- but it is hard to argue with success!!

Sue P

[MingjoMartins]

James -

Having been in your situation, I can understand the question and your frustration in getting established.

In my case, I originally started with a single T10 (later switched out to T14) with 4 gourds and got lookers, but no tenants.

I then moved the original house and gourds, but added a second house and the difference was almost instant. Significantly more interest from my visitors.

In my opinion, the second house added the sensory overload that my birds were looking for, lots of choices, lots of places to explore, and lot's of perching space.

Of course, dawnsong, decoys, and mirrors hidden in cavities were also a large part of the equation.

Best of luck to you this year - and "be visible" to your visitors as much as you can. I hate to admit it, but I think this initial "bond" with your first bird is crucial to the success of a newly started colony. In my instance it was a SY bird, but I think it applies to any colony startup.

My friends think I am crazy, but that first summer my SY (Uno) would immediately come visit me as soon as I entered the yard, and really seemed to enjoy our chats....

John M (the other John M)

[Scott D.- La]

There are a couple people who have tried to attract Martins within a half mile of me and have been unsuccessful for 3 years. Both sights are fairly open and both installed a single house. I think if they had went with gourd racks they would have attracted Martins. One house on the landscape is not much of a draw IMO. I think a person should have a couple systems and by all means a gourd rack, as it's more visible. I had 80 pairs last year, so we have plenty of birds here and both persons should be able to atleast get a few pairs.

[James Strickland FL]

Thanks everyone! I'm trying everything I can to get some Martins this year. I have raised my houses and gourds to 20 ft and I do have an extra gourd rack that I can erect. I have 42 room that are read and I can put up the other rack that has 24 more gourds. I just don't know how many I should have up at this point.

[Sue P]

James, are you using the dawn song and martin decoys? I found the dawn song to be fantastically effective. When the first birds come in they dive bomb my boom box, thinking there are martins in it.

If you aren't using the dawn song, start using it --- it should help.

And good luck this year!!

Sue P

[D'Nese]

James,

I would think it will be no problem getting martins in your area. My first house was the S&K 12 compartment plastic house. I got it from the local "big box store". We put it up late our first year with just "lookies". I actually think they were going south and just interested. The second year, house went up, and believe it or not, I played the dawn song on the deck with my computer.....my husband thought I was loosing it, and sure enough we got our first pair in April. The rest is history. It is so exciting to see the first one's land and look around. Even better when they keep coming back each day and THEN you see them bringing in nesting material. Thats it, they've come.
We are adding a T-14 this year....hope they like it, but the ole faithful will go up as well. They made babies there last year and hopefully they will return to do it again

Good luck and keep on looking up.

[James Strickland FL]

Sue I do play the Dawn song and I will be starting it this weekend and i do have decoys up already.

[Sue P]

It is great that you are employing all of the ideas that the landlords have given you, Jim. Like I have said before, it took us fifteen years to attract martins, but eventually it happened.

Just keep trying, and don't give up!!
Tenacity pays!!

Sue P

[Jeremy Shuler]

I had a house with 4 gourds under it for a couple years and nothing then I found 16 naturelines and put them all up and got 2 pairs.