Crescent or Conley 2 - which is more SRE - in your opinion?

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BillieJR
Posts: 766
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:39 am
Location: Monroe, WI

I am getting some new additional gourds and I'm trying to decide which way to go. I only have Conley 2s and have had pretty good luck keeping startlings out. An occasional one gets in but that's usually early in the season. Does anyone have a preference between Crescents and Conley 2s? Or are they pretty much equal in keeping starlings out? Thanks!
Billie from southern Wisconsin
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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

Hi Billie,
I use both those entrances, I like them both for starling control. Main reason is each offers the ability to make modifications if starlings start to figure them out. Either I can raise the porch on the troyers, or add a WEP over the crescent. Good question. The entry I like the best (but have few of here) are the excluder II. They look intimidating but martins take to them quickly.
Hope you fill them.up!
Tom
Last edited by C.C.Martins on Fri Mar 20, 2026 5:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
A good house sparrow is a dead house sparrow.
HOSP: 17. Starlings: 23
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flyin-lowe
Posts: 3788
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:49 am
Location: Indiana/Henry Co.

I have had a mix of both for 15 plus years. I have only seen a handful of breaches and didn't notice it being one over the other. In the beginnings when I started the SREH were not near as popular as they are today and it seemed like martins had a harder time entering the crescents. However I feel like a huge number of martins are fledging from SREH each year (at least where I am, never see round hole on PM houses) and don't have a problem navigating them.
2026 HOSP 26
2025 62 pair HOSP 20
2024 60 pair, HOSP 44
2023 60+ pair, HOSP 8
2022 60 nests with 262 eggs, HOSP 14
2021 62 pair, HOSP 9
2020 42 nest, HOSP 8
2019- 31 pair
2018- 15 pair 49 fledged
2017 3 SY pair, 12 eggs , fledged 10. 4 additional lone SY's
2016 1 pair fledged 4
2015 Visitors
2014 Visitors
2013 Moved 6 miles, 1 pair fledged 2.
2012 30 pair fledged 100.
2011 12 pair 43 fledged.
2010 5 pair 14 fledged.
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BillieJR
Posts: 766
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:39 am
Location: Monroe, WI

Thanks for your replies, Tom and flyin-lowe. I know it was worrisome when I first tried the SREH - the first martins that came acted like they didn't know what to do with them. But it didn't take them long to figure it out. This will be my 4th year with them, using gourds. Many years ago I had them in houses with round holes and then one year they just didn't come back. I am assuming it was a predator problem. So I waited (impatiently) for them to return and when they did, it was to the gourds.

Last year I had 19 pair and 86 babies fledged.

I hope you both have a very successful year.

Thanks again,
Billie
Billie from southern Wisconsin
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