The Disappearing Culture of Purple Martin Landlords | JSTOR Daily

[Stingray]

I haven't seen this posted here, but I thought it an interesting read.
We need to share our love for our little friends with as many folks of all ages as possible.
Personally, my wife and I have encouraged three new landlords to our hobby/obsession.

I don't agree that we as landlords are not animal welfare people, but the jist of it is that the hobby is slowing down.


https://daily.jstor.org/the-disappearin ... landlords/

[Dave Duit]

Thank you for spotlighting this topic as it is a concern for many current landlords. I think the fast paced world has made the martin culture as well as other outdoor nature hobbies suffer. You would think that such activities would be the solution to all the fast society stuff, but we just don't see it happening. I agree with you in the approach of educating as many people as possible in getting into the hobby and assisting people in taking an interest. Bless you for your efforts. We can make a difference, even though some days the hill looks more like a mountain. Keep on climbing for the martins everyone. : )

[Stingray]

Thank you for spotlighting this topic as it is a concern for many current landlords. I think the fast paced world has made the martin culture as well as other outdoor nature hobbies suffer. You would think that such activities would be the solution to all the fast society stuff, but we just don't see it happening. I agree with you in the approach of educating as many people as possible in getting into the hobby and assisting people in taking an interest. Bless you for your efforts. We can make a difference, even though some days the hill looks more like a mountain. Keep on climbing for the martins everyone. : )

Good points Dave. Thank you.
It is a rewarding commitment, one which all of us here enjoy.
I appreciate your reply and perspective.

[Bird Brain]

Got a link to this article ?

[flyin-lowe]

I feel like outdoor activities in general are in decline among the young in this country. I'm in my mid 40's and growing up you always saw kids out playing pick up games of basketball, football, baseball etc. You never see stuff like that any more. Fishing, hunting, etc. seem to be a thing of the past for most youth. I wouldn't want to own a golf course right now because it is a huge investment and I can't imagine that in 5-10 years many people will be playing. Once this generation of golfers gets too old to play I think those numbers will drop off as well.

[Dave Reynolds]

,,,,, Flyin-Lowe ... It is hard to get some people interested in hosting Martins.. But I’m hoping the word is getting spread at the Golf Course where I have a Satilite Site.. A lot of golfers stop and want to look into the nest at he babies every time I do nest checks.. So some are getting the word.. Going to give them some of my old Martin books this year when they stop by.. Hopefully, I can get a few new landlords to put up houses this year..

Dave

[Stingray]

Alright folks, here's the link to the article.
I originally pasted it in the subject line.


https://daily.jstor.org/the-disappearin ... landlords/

[MartinBro]

This article is Fake News

[Dave Duit]

Thanks for posting the article. Very true and very interesting food for thought. Now is the time to go out and recruit some younger people to pick up the hobby. On a side note, the picture on the left of the three fancy martin houses looks very much like the" Capitol ". But, after a closer look in comparison it was just similar. They were very good carpenters.

[MartinBro]

Some also reported shooting hawks that threatened martin nests—which is not lawful.
BOLONEY
I've never heard anyone on this forum advocate for shooting raptors.

mostly WHITE MEN from the South.
“You have to have almost a CRUEL streak in you…
WILLING TO KILL ABOUT ANYTHING else that flies up there.”
VIOLENT side of landlording.

According to this article:
White men from the South are cruel, violent, and willing to kill almost anything.
Gotta watch out for that southern white Boogie Man. He gonna GITCHA.

[ToyinPA]

The "article" doesn't seem like it's much more than copied & pasted info from various articles & posts written over time. No mention of depleting habitat in both their summer & winter areas, major lack of insects due to over use of pesticides & the constant attack from non-native birds.

The "capital" martin house, left house in the photo, was designed from one of the several Pennsylvania Capital buildings. J. Warren Jacobs (Waynesburg, PA) built many martin houses designed after great buildings back in his day. Landlords back then put houses up to control insects from eating their fruit trees & fruit. Having a martin colony wasn't really a hobby back then, it had a major purpose.

Sadly the majority of youth today are just plain lazy. They are so addicted to their cell phones they don't want to do anything else. Most can't hold a job more than a day, max 3 months. Local factories & various other businesses in my area struggle to keep employees. Many have resorted to hiring older folks, as they know at least they'll show up for work. I notice younger neighbors don't even plant flowers, shrubs, etc., let along do anything outside. Days of kids playing outside are all but gone. The yards & streets are silent in summer. Getting enough youth to take on the challenge of being a Purple Martin Landlord isn't going to be easy. I offered to do an event for a local Boy Scout group. They weren't interested. I did a few events for a local Audubon group. Most felt it was too time consuming, too expensive & too much work having a Purple Martin colony. They'd rather take pictures & see if they could fill their bird list for the year. Yeah well one day there won't be any birds to fill those lists!

Purple Martins, including other song birds in the USA, have been under attack from birds that are not native (Starlings & HS). All are in decline. Add in over use of pesticides & it's a recipe for disaster. All we can do is keep trying to get youth interested & pray some will take up this task. I am disabled, have balance issues, trouble walking, etc.. However, I will keep plugging away to keep my colony going for as long as I can. For me it's not hard work, but a joy to see, hear & watch them. Like many things in life they are a gift.

[ChickenMan]

I think this is a pretty terrible article for the hobby, personally. I'm actually the "new guy" trying to get into the hobby- but it is filled with barriers to entry- which I think is what is killing it. My excitement and hope to be a martin hobbyist or keeper ("landlord" is not a good term by the way, it has historic connotations and is dated) has been met with unfortunate walls at every turn. So as an outsider trying to be an insider, I offer some feedback.

Barrier 1: It's Expensive. They're missing a key fact that the hobby is Expensive. A plastic gourd costs $30 and you need 6 or more of them. A new house costs over $100 and an SREH plate costs $5 per hole. A pole costs $300. Etc. There's not a lot of "natural" hobbies out there that have an entry cost over $500. Possible Solution: Somehow you have to get the costs down on an "entry level" setup, or along my point #4 connect them with a mentor who might have extra equipment.

Barrier 2: The Hobby Needs a Change in Perception. To call the hobby something owned by "Old Southern White Men" and then paint them as viscous killers of other animals (including some that are protected) is just tabloiding at it's best. What topics are more popular today than bashing the South, white men and sensationalizing anything that includes violence. It's almost as if the writer was just reaching for anything to make the article controversial rather than informative. But that said- calling yourselves "Landlords" isn't helping either. That is a dated, negative word. There is no positive use of the word Landlord that I have seen- it is almost always reserved for the old white man that poor people have to give their hard-earned money to. Possible Solution: The hobby may want to look at rebranding itself with terms like "Keepers" instead of "Landlords" and change the perception this is just a bunch of old white men from the south and show the reality that the hobby is filled with diversity.

Barrier 3: There is absolutely no Instant Gratification. This is a new generation of social media and instant gratification and you can have the best martin setup in the world and still not get Martins for years, or ever. In fact, it appears you are considered extremely "lucky" if you get any action in the first few years. That kind of payoff doesn't work in today's society sadly when everything else is pay and get paid. As ToyinPA pointed out, there's little interest because of the time required, cost, and "lazy" kids- but in fairness, they have been raised in a generation of instant gratification, so that is really a cultural problem not a hobby problem. Possible Solution: This is a tough one as the hobby itself relies on wild animals. Maybe the best route is to host some kind of public display of martins to get people more interested via parks, etc. aka "outreach".

Barrier 4: Community. There are some great people on here- but it seems most are here to just talk to others like them, and not try to bring people to the hobby or help them. Absolutely there are people helping others, that's not what I am saying (for instance the OP says they helped 3 people into the hobby). Honestly, I'm brand new to the hobby and trying to piece things together. I found some old stuff on craiglist to start with. Then there was a post a week ago with a lady named Peggy who had good equipment in KY, I live only 30 minutes from her and called her- but she gave everything to a guy named Jeff who drove over 3 hours to come get it - but Jeff is a seasoned martin keeper... so basically two hobbiests completely blocked out a new entrant. I even wrote a note to Jeff which he ignored because he just wanted the free equipment. I can't fault him for wanting a deal- and who knows maybe Jeff will use it for many, many years- I get it- but it doesn't change the fact that Peggy and Jeff completely blocked me out and I have the capability to be someone who kept martins for many years. Things like that, although I fully understand is a single situation, don't help the hobby. Possible Solution: Maybe Pin a "welcome new users" thread and through that try and hook up new hobbyists with seasoned experts that can give them a much better path to success and possibly share their old/extra equipment.

Anyway guys- just wanted to throw this soliloquy out there with some observations from an outsider- I may be completely off base- but it doesn't change the fact that this is the perspective of a potential new hobbyist.

[D. Doll MN]

[quote=ChickenMan post_id=294697 time=1611669308 user_id=24219]

[b]Barrier 4: Community. [/b] There are some great people on here- but it seems most are here to just talk to others like them, and not try to bring people to the hobby or help them. Absolutely there are people helping others, that's not what I am saying (for instance the OP says they helped 3 people into the hobby). Honestly, I'm brand new to the hobby and trying to piece things together. I found some old stuff on craiglist to start with. Then there was a post a week ago with a lady named Peggy who had good equipment in KY, I live only 30 minutes from her and called her- but she gave everything to a guy named Jeff who drove over 3 hours to come get it - but Jeff is a seasoned martin keeper... so basically two hobbiests completely blocked out a new entrant. I even wrote a note to Jeff which he ignored because he just wanted the free equipment. I can't fault him for wanting a deal- and who knows maybe Jeff will use it for many, many years- I get it- but it doesn't change the fact that Peggy and Jeff completely blocked me out and I have the capability to be someone who kept martins for many years. Things like that, although I fully understand is a single situation, don't help the hobby. [i]Possible Solution: Maybe Pin a "welcome new users" thread and through that try and hook up new hobbyists with seasoned experts that can give them a much better path to success and possibly share their old/extra equipment. [/i]

Anyway guys- just wanted to throw this soliloquy out there with some observations from an outsider- I may be completely off base- but it doesn't change the fact that [i]this is the perspective of a potential new hobbyist. [/i]
[/quote]

You have put some very good points as to a new commer trying to get into the hobby. I don't know Peggy or Jeff and they maybe woundering who I am also. I am somone who just popped back onto the site in last few days. Its been many years since I have posted anything on here. I don't have a mega colony site, my biggest site was capable of fifty pair I had fortynine. Now I manage a colony up to twenty eight pair, large enough. I am a Bander, I band all my own birds and some other colony, and have been part of the Geo-locator study years back. So martins is not something new to me, or getting new colonys started, have helped many.
Yes this fourm is here for people to talk and share Ideas with each other, and just pass time. But this web site is much more, it dose have a mentor section. Have you reach out to anyone on her to asked for help? I know when I had gourds to give away I too give them to the first person who asked for them. Not thinking there was someone like you not having anything would like them. Martin people just want to see them being used if they can, some may want something for the stuff, and other may not. Just keep asking there is cheep stuff out there and free stuff just need to find the right person. Because I think we ALL on here would like to help out anyone just getting started. And thanks for giving your prospective on starting out, some of us older people need to hear the younger side thinking.

[G Saner]

I agree with the comments above that the article is inaccurate. However, the topic is important. Here are my two cents.

I may be in the minority, but I started with martins when I was 13. My friend's parents had a colony and I was hooked. I find that most people that have a colony today are in their 50s, 60s, 70s or even 80s. Most people in their 20s or 30s are not interested now but could be when they get older. Empty nesters or new retirees are good candidates.

In this area, new landlords are not a problem. I give martin talks at the local Wild Birds Unlimited store. They have an area that seats about 40 persons. The talk is always packed. That store sells over 20 housing units every year. Last year, a couple that had moved from California attended. They put up a house and got martins the first year. They didn't even know what a martin looked like.

I feel my most important service is being a mentor and exposing people to martins. When my wife was still teaching elementary school, every year we had her class over for a backyard bird lesson (thanks Louise). Almost every student came (couldn't miss seeing where the teacher lived). They brought their parents, siblings and even grandparents. Maybe when those students get older, they will remember the martins and want a colony of their own.

Today, my colony is at a Assisted Living Center. Initially, I thought the site would not be good for finding a new enthusiast but failed to understand that the residents were visited by their children and grandchildren. The gourds are also within sight of a walking trail and I get a few visitors from the trail when I am doing nests checks.

I mentor people I meet from my talks and also from the PMCA website. Most of the mentoring can be done by e-mail but I also visit new sites to propose the best area to place the pole. As all mentors do, I also help people to use and understand the best and safest practices for keeping the martins safe and raising the maximum number of babies. The PMCA revamped their website a few years ago and I have had less contacts seeking a mentor. You have to go to a second page to find the mentor page. I wish they had a button on the home page "Find a Mentor".

The cost issue mentioned above is an important one. Even a starter Trio house is $350. One solution is refurbishing old Trio houses. Just about every town has a few old Trios no long in use in backyards. You can knock on the door and see if the people are willing to sell it or give it to you. Most of these Trios are in yards that were purchased from the original owner and the new owner is glad to part with it. Since 2014, I have refurbished 7 Trios and given them away. All 7 were given to me free. After you get your colony started, you can upgrade to better equipment if you like. Like I say in my martin talks, consider the cost over 20 years because that is how long they will last (at least).

I am not as worried as some about this topic. While I am still around, I hope to nurture as many new martin lovers as possible. When I am gone, I think I will be replaced with someone who is not interested now but will be when they get older.

Gary

[Stingray]

The "article" doesn't seem like it's much more than copied & pasted info from various articles & posts written over time. No mention of depleting habitat in both their summer & winter areas, major lack of insects due to over use of pesticides & the constant attack from non-native birds.

The "capital" martin house, left house in the photo, was designed from one of the several Pennsylvania Capital buildings. J. Warren Jacobs (Waynesburg, PA) built many martin houses designed after great buildings back in his day. Landlords back then put houses up to control insects from eating their fruit trees & fruit. Having a martin colony wasn't really a hobby back then, it had a major purpose.

Sadly the majority of youth today are just plain lazy. They are so addicted to their cell phones they don't want to do anything else. Most can't hold a job more than a day, max 3 months. Local factories & various other businesses in my area struggle to keep employees. Many have resorted to hiring older folks, as they know at least they'll show up for work. I notice younger neighbors don't even plant flowers, shrubs, etc., let along do anything outside. Days of kids playing outside are all but gone. The yards & streets are silent in summer. Getting enough youth to take on the challenge of being a Purple Martin Landlord isn't going to be easy. I offered to do an event for a local Boy Scout group. They weren't interested. I did a few events for a local Audubon group. Most felt it was too time consuming, too expensive & too much work having a Purple Martin colony. They'd rather take pictures & see if they could fill their bird list for the year. Yeah well one day there won't be any birds to fill those lists!

Purple Martins, including other song birds in the USA, have been under attack from birds that are not native (Starlings & HS). All are in decline. Add in over use of pesticides & it's a recipe for disaster. All we can do is keep trying to get youth interested & pray some will take up this task. I am disabled, have balance issues, trouble walking, etc.. However, I will keep plugging away to keep my colony going for as long as I can. For me it's not hard work, but a joy to see, hear & watch them. Like many things in life they are a gift.

ToyinPA,
Thanks for your post. You bring up some great points. I enjoyed reading about some of the history of the martins and houses. Wonderful!
I agree with you that it is not really work...it's a labor of love.
Kudos to you for persevering through your health challenges. Very inspiring.

Thanks again.

Be well,

[Stingray]

I agree with the comments above that the article is inaccurate. However, the topic is important. Here are my two cents.

I may be in the minority, but I started with martins when I was 13. My friend's parents had a colony and I was hooked. I find that most people that have a colony today are in their 50s, 60s, 70s or even 80s. Most people in their 20s or 30s are not interested now but could be when they get older. Empty nesters or new retirees are good candidates.

In this area, new landlords are not a problem. I give martin talks at the local Wild Birds Unlimited store. They have an area that seats about 40 persons. The talk is always packed. That store sells over 20 housing units every year. Last year, a couple that had moved from California attended. They put up a house and got martins the first year. They didn't even know what a martin looked like.

I feel my most important service is being a mentor and exposing people to martins. When my wife was still teaching elementary school, every year we had her class over for a backyard bird lesson (thanks Louise). Almost every student came (couldn't miss seeing where the teacher lived). They brought their parents, siblings and even grandparents. Maybe when those students get older, they will remember the martins and want a colony of their own.

Today, my colony is at a Assisted Living Center. Initially, I thought the site would not be good for finding a new enthusiast but failed to understand that the residents were visited by their children and grandchildren. The gourds are also within sight of a walking trail and I get a few visitors from the trail when I am doing nests checks.

I mentor people I meet from my talks and also from the PMCA website. Most of the mentoring can be done by e-mail but I also visit new sites to propose the best area to place the pole. As all mentors do, I also help people to use and understand the best and safest practices for keeping the martins safe and raising the maximum number of babies. The PMCA revamped their website a few years ago and I have had less contacts seeking a mentor. You have to go to a second page to find the mentor page. I wish they had a button on the home page "Find a Mentor".

The cost issue mentioned above is an important one. Even a starter Trio house is $350. One solution is refurbishing old Trio houses. Just about every town has a few old Trios no long in use in backyards. You can knock on the door and see if the people are willing to sell it or give it to you. Most of these Trios are in yards that were purchased from the original owner and the new owner is glad to part with it. Since 2014, I have refurbished 7 Trios and given them away. All 7 were given to me free. After you get your colony started, you can upgrade to better equipment if you like. Like I say in my martin talks, consider the cost over 20 years because that is how long they will last (at least).

I am not as worried as some about this topic. While I am still around, I hope to nurture as many new martin lovers as possible. When I am gone, I think I will be replaced with someone who is not interested now but will be when they get older.

Gary

Gary,
This is an excellent post. Thank you.
I enjoyed reading about your start in purple martins.
You are truly a steward of our hobby. Your mentorship is impressive and apparently paying off.
I agree with your point that while younger folks may not be interested or have time for an endeavor such as ours,
they may remember and become landlords later on.

Thanks for your post and all you do.

Regards,

[Spiderman]

I had 82 pair of Martins & 392 fledglings last year and live on a lake. Allot of boaters see the Martins and would Love to have therm in their yards.

It’s an easy conversation until you get to PRICE. Most normal people aren’t going to spend upwards of $500.00 on a bird house. I have heard it many times.

I started off with wooden houses that I built. They attracted birds and produced fledglings, but were heavy, a pain to maintain, and do nest checks.

The Big Troyer racks with horizontal gourds are so mush easier to enjoy and maintain, but then your looking at $1,200 per rack. I have 3 of them, neighbors think I’m insane to spend that kind of money on “birdhouses”.

They may be right!

[Dave Duit]

I actually insured my martin housing since I had nearly $4,000 worth. I had accumulated the housing over years, so it wasn't a one time $4,000 amount. I was extremely lucky to have a welder / fabricator as a cousin. He now makes gourd racks, much lower price thanks to my initial pilot project and design. He has made several gourd racks that fit either a 3 or 4 inch square pole. We used US steel to purchase our poles.

[MartinBro]

So people spent $20,000 or more on a boat, but bemoan a $500 bird house. LOL. People love their toys (boats, sports cars, 2nd homes, private planes.) But the "cruel, violent, Southern white man" must be shamed and ridiculed if he buys a $500 martin house.

[PMDavid]

Chicken man....... I feel for the fact that you as a new Martin keeper missed out on the give away stuff. And you bring a whole lot of great points to the table about the gettin all started in martins exspense,you are correct. When I got started 3-4 yrs ago I told my wife I was gonna spend $300 on a house and a $150 on a pole and stuff ,she said “ like hell you are” we have other priorities! So as someone here mentioned.....I being resourceful had already seen out and about some seemingly forgotten Martin housing. I did exactly what has been said and at the first door knock I made scored two houses and poles that neede very little TLC!!!!! Yes I said the FIRST DOOR KNOCK! I then learned about gourds,natural ones. Costing $5-6 each rather than $30+ each. So then I scraped up some free wood and made a gourd rack. Got a couple of gourds found some free exterior white paint and I was in the Martin. buisiness for almost near nothin. Havin then gotten several many pair on my second year the wifey got interested and really was impressed with my resourcefulness and welcomed the purchase of more natural gourds. So then got a buttload of em and again resourced an old satellite dish for free and made a real big gourd rack and anticipate growing to 25+ pairs this season.! Moral of all this story.......it doesn’t have to cost a fortune,think outa the box,cause your bird house don’t have to come by fed ex in one. Don’t be afraid to knock on someone’s door. And some of the best things in life can be free or almost. I have phased out three of four free houses and am taking down poles and all having converted to gourds on racks. If you weren’t in Kentucky YOU could gladly have em for FREE. Look all around your area and I almost guarantee you will find “forgotten “ Martin houses you can get for nothing. I do hope this has offers some form of mentorship on your answer to some of the exspense end of things. If I can be of any further help with advice or info please feel free to ask,I will be happy to offer what I can .
David