was wondering if I should cut back some of the roof overhang? will PM's
have trouble approaching the top floor cavity openings? I will still add
nest access port holes,porches and perches attached to the porches. the double line 1/4 inch
apart under opening represents cavity floor. I appreciate all advise and ideas since I am not familiar
with the PM's habits and abilities. thanks
PM house question
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Kegger
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 am
- Location: Awesome Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2020: 2 pair of SY with 4 eggs ,fledge 7
2021: 5 pair 25 eggs fledge 18, 4 egg 2nd brood attempt
2022: 13 pair 61 eggs fledge 56 added 11 cavs. now 22 total
2023 15 pair 75 eggs fledge 51 only 3 of 11 eggs hatched cavity 10
2024 11 pair 50 eggs fledge
26. 1 renest cav1, cav10 8 eggs 8 fledged 2 couples ASY and Sy
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GFB
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2018 5:05 pm
- Location: Ontario NY
- Martin Colony History: I Started my first colony with my father in the late 1960's. Started building custom vinyl Martin houses last year 2018 and was successful with 10 birds fledged and it looks like several dozen birds are hanging around. Time to expand.
2018: 1 T-14 and 6 gourds. Fledged 10
2019: 2 T-14's and 6 gourds. Fledged 70
2020: 2 T-14's and 6 gourds. Fledged 111
2021: 2 T-14's and 18 gourds Fledged 186
2022: 2 T-14's and 18 gourds Fledged 208
Kegger,
It should be fine, I would add 4ft fiberglass perches along the bottom of the roof line or even through the roof or when you get your dozens of birds they would have a place to perch. I got mine at tractor supply. If you really want to add that little bonus to attract them you could have four hooks on each corner to hang some plastic gourdes. Nice job. Guy
It should be fine, I would add 4ft fiberglass perches along the bottom of the roof line or even through the roof or when you get your dozens of birds they would have a place to perch. I got mine at tractor supply. If you really want to add that little bonus to attract them you could have four hooks on each corner to hang some plastic gourdes. Nice job. Guy
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C.C.Martins
- Posts: 3368
- Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
- Location: Corpus Christi Tx
- Martin Colony History: 2016- Visitors.
2017- 5 pair. 15 fledged
2018- 18 pair. 85 fledged
2019- 17 pair. 81 fledged
2020- 25 pair. 111 fledged
2021- 28 pair. 118 fledged
2022- 33 pair. 151 fledged
2023- 33 pair. 165 fledged
2024- 40 pair. 185 fledged
2025- 40 pair. 181 fledged
HOSP:
Home colony: mix natural, super, Troyer and excluder gourds, enlarged compartment house. All SREH.
Satellite colony: Oso Bay Preserve: 49 PMCA excluder gourds; 16 room Lonestar Goliad with Modified Excluder entrances.
2019: Visitors
2020: 3 pair, 11 fledged
2021: 10 pair, 30 fledged
2022: 11 pair, 35 fledged
2023: 18 pair, 101 fledged
2024: 39 pair, 181 fledged
2025: 51 pair, 216 fledged
PMCA member
Looks like you have been busy! looks very nice, overhang looks good. what size cavities are you planning? looks 6 sided, one cavity per side, stacked double? If so, (and I can only go by the pictures) Id suggest enlarging the compartments in your house from 6” x 6” to 6”x 12”, you are reducing the overall number of compartments by half, in essence you take out a wall. They are big birds, have 4-6 eggs at a time and need the space...the birds will be safer and more successful.
here's a floor plan picture of a Trio house:
https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... on-434.pdf
Then stagger the entry ways so one bird is not living directly over another....reduces porch domination wherein one dominant bird defends two cavities keeping the other birds away.
If you already have these plans, well and good; just couldn't tell from the picture. looks like you have a good off season task ahead of you!
Best of luck, wish you a house full of birds next season!
Respectfully,
Tom
here's a floor plan picture of a Trio house:
https://www.purplemartin.org/uploads/me ... on-434.pdf
Then stagger the entry ways so one bird is not living directly over another....reduces porch domination wherein one dominant bird defends two cavities keeping the other birds away.
If you already have these plans, well and good; just couldn't tell from the picture. looks like you have a good off season task ahead of you!
Best of luck, wish you a house full of birds next season!
Respectfully,
Tom
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
Roof looks fine it keeps Hawks and owls at bay. They can't get right to the opening and reach in the hole.
If you use the Fiberglas rods (which is a good idea) just make sure to paint them.
They will start to splinter in the summer sun.
If you use the Fiberglas rods (which is a good idea) just make sure to paint them.
They will start to splinter in the summer sun.
Colony started in 2002
Offering 82 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
2018 - 45 PAIR - FLEDGED 203 MARTINS
2019 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 268 MARTINS
2020 - 82 PAIR - FLEDGED 392 MARTINS
2021 - 78 PAIR - FLEDGED 349 MARTINS
2022 - 76 PAIR - FLEDGED 373 MARTINS
2023 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 355 MARTINS
*2023 Added 2”X4” wire cages to all three Troyer Gemini Gourd Racks to deal with Great Horned Owl predation on Colony.
Offering 82 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
2018 - 45 PAIR - FLEDGED 203 MARTINS
2019 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 268 MARTINS
2020 - 82 PAIR - FLEDGED 392 MARTINS
2021 - 78 PAIR - FLEDGED 349 MARTINS
2022 - 76 PAIR - FLEDGED 373 MARTINS
2023 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 355 MARTINS
*2023 Added 2”X4” wire cages to all three Troyer Gemini Gourd Racks to deal with Great Horned Owl predation on Colony.
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John Miller
- Posts: 4867
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
A substantial porch overhang seems to be attractive to martins, I think. I've extended out porch overhangs on Trio houses, to gain more rain protection and sometimes as a option for housing with 6 x 6 units to create more depth.
Martins enjoy sitting back under the porch, and you can add a swing if you like.
Martins enjoy sitting back under the porch, and you can add a swing if you like.
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Kegger
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 am
- Location: Awesome Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2020: 2 pair of SY with 4 eggs ,fledge 7
2021: 5 pair 25 eggs fledge 18, 4 egg 2nd brood attempt
2022: 13 pair 61 eggs fledge 56 added 11 cavs. now 22 total
2023 15 pair 75 eggs fledge 51 only 3 of 11 eggs hatched cavity 10
2024 11 pair 50 eggs fledge
26. 1 renest cav1, cav10 8 eggs 8 fledged 2 couples ASY and Sy
thanks for all of the reply to all. I like the perch on the roofline idea. I may keep
a single cavity 7 1/4 x 9 1/8 pie shaped for a bachelor bird the rest 2 unit size (trapezoidal shaped)
was wondering how much I could stagger openings to cavaties?
a single cavity 7 1/4 x 9 1/8 pie shaped for a bachelor bird the rest 2 unit size (trapezoidal shaped)
was wondering how much I could stagger openings to cavaties?
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mwren
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:43 pm
- Location: OH/Athens
- Martin Colony History: I have had my martin colony on the dam of one of my ponds for nine years. The colony has grown each year, but I am now concentrating on helping friends and acquaintances who have shown interests in martins. My colony consists of three T-14's with 8 Troyer gourds attatched to each T-14, a Troyer gourd rack with 12 gourds, and another gourd rack with 18 Troyer gourds for a total of 96 nest cavities. I am having serious predation issues with hawks and owls and am experimenting with various hawk guards and "screens". Established successful supplemental feeding the last few seasons and have had a blast flipping mostly meal worms and some crickets. Faculty from Ohio University are using my colony as a research site to study parasites that target cavity nesting birds. In exchange for access to my bird trail nest boxes and martin housing, they are banding all birds involved in their study.
kegger,
I will "second" the advice from "cc" when he suggests that you expand your cavities from 6x6 to at least 6x12. Martins are the largest swallows, and they need the room raise their young. The deeper nest cavity also provides protection from the reach of predators. Larger, and fewer cavities can improve your number of birds that make it to fledglings.
"Bird"
I will "second" the advice from "cc" when he suggests that you expand your cavities from 6x6 to at least 6x12. Martins are the largest swallows, and they need the room raise their young. The deeper nest cavity also provides protection from the reach of predators. Larger, and fewer cavities can improve your number of birds that make it to fledglings.
"Bird"
Mike "Bird" Wren
If your going to build a 36 room house as you stated in your comments, just keep in mind the weight of the house.
I have a couple of 20 room houses made from 1/2" plywood and they weigh 50lbs.
If you can't do 6X12" rooms, maybe 6"X 9" will work with your plans.
I have a couple of 20 room houses made from 1/2" plywood and they weigh 50lbs.
If you can't do 6X12" rooms, maybe 6"X 9" will work with your plans.
Colony started in 2002
Offering 82 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
2018 - 45 PAIR - FLEDGED 203 MARTINS
2019 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 268 MARTINS
2020 - 82 PAIR - FLEDGED 392 MARTINS
2021 - 78 PAIR - FLEDGED 349 MARTINS
2022 - 76 PAIR - FLEDGED 373 MARTINS
2023 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 355 MARTINS
*2023 Added 2”X4” wire cages to all three Troyer Gemini Gourd Racks to deal with Great Horned Owl predation on Colony.
Offering 82 Troyer Horizontal Gourds
2018 - 45 PAIR - FLEDGED 203 MARTINS
2019 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 268 MARTINS
2020 - 82 PAIR - FLEDGED 392 MARTINS
2021 - 78 PAIR - FLEDGED 349 MARTINS
2022 - 76 PAIR - FLEDGED 373 MARTINS
2023 - 68 PAIR - FLEDGED 355 MARTINS
*2023 Added 2”X4” wire cages to all three Troyer Gemini Gourd Racks to deal with Great Horned Owl predation on Colony.
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Kegger
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 am
- Location: Awesome Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2020: 2 pair of SY with 4 eggs ,fledge 7
2021: 5 pair 25 eggs fledge 18, 4 egg 2nd brood attempt
2022: 13 pair 61 eggs fledge 56 added 11 cavs. now 22 total
2023 15 pair 75 eggs fledge 51 only 3 of 11 eggs hatched cavity 10
2024 11 pair 50 eggs fledge
26. 1 renest cav1, cav10 8 eggs 8 fledged 2 couples ASY and Sy
Spiderman
sorry I screwed up, that was 36 rooms for 2 units like the pic I put up @
7.5 x 9 1/8. 18 double rooms for 2 houses. I figured a 3 " pole with outriggers
to hold homes far enough apart to put feeding tray in the middle. My site will be
off my dock on a canal leading to fresh water to the north and salty to the south.
I used PVC 1/2 " 1 1/2 sheets, pine for the trusses and 3/4 ext ply for base for both
houses. i will have to lower alot for thunderstorms. sw florida is windy.
sorry I screwed up, that was 36 rooms for 2 units like the pic I put up @
7.5 x 9 1/8. 18 double rooms for 2 houses. I figured a 3 " pole with outriggers
to hold homes far enough apart to put feeding tray in the middle. My site will be
off my dock on a canal leading to fresh water to the north and salty to the south.
I used PVC 1/2 " 1 1/2 sheets, pine for the trusses and 3/4 ext ply for base for both
houses. i will have to lower alot for thunderstorms. sw florida is windy.
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Kegger
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:58 am
- Location: Awesome Florida
- Martin Colony History: 2020: 2 pair of SY with 4 eggs ,fledge 7
2021: 5 pair 25 eggs fledge 18, 4 egg 2nd brood attempt
2022: 13 pair 61 eggs fledge 56 added 11 cavs. now 22 total
2023 15 pair 75 eggs fledge 51 only 3 of 11 eggs hatched cavity 10
2024 11 pair 50 eggs fledge
26. 1 renest cav1, cav10 8 eggs 8 fledged 2 couples ASY and Sy
CC
The remodel sketch you posted illustrated PM's always making a left upon
entering cavity to get to the nest area. I hope they can turn right too.
Would you know how close I could get to a partition at entry way? I don't
want a PM to rub his side on it.
The remodel sketch you posted illustrated PM's always making a left upon
entering cavity to get to the nest area. I hope they can turn right too.
Would you know how close I could get to a partition at entry way? I don't
want a PM to rub his side on it.
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2026, 88 pair with 333 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
I have a big solid roof over my 4 trio houses with an owl cage extending off the roof and my martins seem to like it. So, I would see no issues with the overhang.