Mirrors on housing

art · Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:43 am

For the past two years I have left attached 3"x3" mirror squares beside a few entrances on my T-14. For the first time ever I have four apartments occupied and two of those apartments have mirrors. In the early nesting phases the males spent much attention to their reflections in the mirrors. I only mention this in case there are those struggling to attract martins. Perhaps a few small mirrors will help. I bought the mirror pane at the local glass shop and cut to size myself. They are glued with a dab of silicone caulk. See picture attached.

phldave · Fri Jun 28, 2013 10:28 am

Thanks Art,

I've read about mirrors before. I think I'll give it a try. I already have the mirrors. I was just trying to figure out where I was going to put them.

Dave

Trishy · Sat Jun 29, 2013 7:53 am

Bob, that lives in southern Iowa started his colony many years ago using mirrors. I know he was very pleased with the results.

Mark Scott · Sat Jul 20, 2013 9:17 am

Did you mount the mirrows inside or outside the T-14 rooms. Picture would help.

art · Sat Jul 20, 2013 9:05 pm

Mark,

I glued the mirrors beside the crescent openings, outside at porch level. Last year I attached a few mirrors to the inside door so the birds might think the T-14 house was a good place to nest after seeing "another bird" in the mirror (inside). I have only three mirrors attached to the T-14 and two of four martin pairs choose mirrored apartments.

trank · Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:31 am

Back in 2007 when I was still struggling to start a purple martin colony, like Art, I strategically placed mirrors along side of a couple of SREH entrances on my North Star house.

The first martin to show an interest in a compartment with a mirror next to it was an SY male. After 3 days of spending a considerable amount of time perched on a porch next to a mirror, he successfully attracted an SY female.

So after 7 frustrating years of trying start a colony I was fortunate to attract 5 pair of SY's in 2007.

The use of visual stimulus is an important component when it comes to attracting purple martins, adding mirrors to your arsenal of attraction techniques just might be enough to convince an investigating martin to claim your site .

Tom