Hello everyone,
The Tennessean newspaper out of Nashville, TN has a online newspaper that has an article about Purple Martins. It mentions the PMCA. I thought it might be interesting reading material. Here is the link to article...
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 00328/1113
Do we have any members representing the Nashville area?
Purple Martins in Nashville Newspaper
I live about 15 miles north of Nashville...in Hendersonville.
This spring I graduated from a micro-colony to a mini-colony (5 pairs) that fledged 29 babies. My colony is in it's second year and I hope for further growth this spring.
I have the Tennessean from sunday but didn't notice the Purple Martin article the Tennessean online had.
This spring I graduated from a micro-colony to a mini-colony (5 pairs) that fledged 29 babies. My colony is in it's second year and I hope for further growth this spring.
I have the Tennessean from sunday but didn't notice the Purple Martin article the Tennessean online had.
"Birds are wild because they have to be,
Man is wild because he chooses to be"
----Mark Twain
Man is wild because he chooses to be"
----Mark Twain
-
Guest
carlymac, the reason you didn't see it in the Sunday's paper is because it was actually on Sunday, July 10, 2005.
-
Guest
drbirdsong4, you have to scroll down on the page when you go to that link to see the section regarding Purple Martins.
The Tennessean has section where they respond to gardening questions. It was in the newspaper dated Sunday, 07/10/05.
Here is what the article said...
We have heard that large mosquito populations can be mitigated by purple martins. Do they live around here? Are they likely to make their home in a standard commercial purple martin house? Any information or tips is appreciated.
? Zeneba Bowers
According to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, purple martins spend the winter in South America and migrate north, to the eastern half of the United States, in spring. I called Wild Birds Unlimited on Bransford Avenue and talked with Todd Stewart, who directed me to the Web site of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, www.purplemartin.org,
Purple martins may take up residence around your home if you provide the right environment, but it's not as easy as just putting up a martin house. These birds seem to be pretty finicky about their living accommodations.
First, they need a lot of air space. The house needs to be placed 10-15 feet off the ground, in the center of the largest open spot available, with no trees within 40 feet and about 30-120 feet from human housing, the PMCA suggests. They are less fussy in the southern range, and a house may be within 25 feet of trees and still attract martins, but the farther you place the house from trees, the better.
Martin houses also should be built to certain size specifications and placed away from power lines, vines and other objects that could give access to predators.
And the house should be closed up during the martin off-season to discourage occupation by other cavity-dwelling birds such as European starlings and English house sparrows, then opened up again at just the right time to attract martins looking for a nesting site.
The PMCA Web site goes into detail about how to attract purple martins, including how to grow, harvest, cure and prepare gourds for making martin houses.
As for their mosquito diet, research has shown that the birds consume a large number of insects every day, but most of them are not mosquitoes.
"Mosquitoes appear to be a negligible item in the diet of the Purple Martin," says Herbert W. Kale II of the Florida Audubon Society, the author of a report at the site, "The Relationship of Purple Martins to Mosquito Control."
An often-quoted statement that "a martin eats 2,000 mosquitoes per day" appears to have no evidence to support it, he says.
The Tennessean has section where they respond to gardening questions. It was in the newspaper dated Sunday, 07/10/05.
Here is what the article said...
We have heard that large mosquito populations can be mitigated by purple martins. Do they live around here? Are they likely to make their home in a standard commercial purple martin house? Any information or tips is appreciated.
? Zeneba Bowers
According to the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, purple martins spend the winter in South America and migrate north, to the eastern half of the United States, in spring. I called Wild Birds Unlimited on Bransford Avenue and talked with Todd Stewart, who directed me to the Web site of the Purple Martin Conservation Association, www.purplemartin.org,
Purple martins may take up residence around your home if you provide the right environment, but it's not as easy as just putting up a martin house. These birds seem to be pretty finicky about their living accommodations.
First, they need a lot of air space. The house needs to be placed 10-15 feet off the ground, in the center of the largest open spot available, with no trees within 40 feet and about 30-120 feet from human housing, the PMCA suggests. They are less fussy in the southern range, and a house may be within 25 feet of trees and still attract martins, but the farther you place the house from trees, the better.
Martin houses also should be built to certain size specifications and placed away from power lines, vines and other objects that could give access to predators.
And the house should be closed up during the martin off-season to discourage occupation by other cavity-dwelling birds such as European starlings and English house sparrows, then opened up again at just the right time to attract martins looking for a nesting site.
The PMCA Web site goes into detail about how to attract purple martins, including how to grow, harvest, cure and prepare gourds for making martin houses.
As for their mosquito diet, research has shown that the birds consume a large number of insects every day, but most of them are not mosquitoes.
"Mosquitoes appear to be a negligible item in the diet of the Purple Martin," says Herbert W. Kale II of the Florida Audubon Society, the author of a report at the site, "The Relationship of Purple Martins to Mosquito Control."
An often-quoted statement that "a martin eats 2,000 mosquitoes per day" appears to have no evidence to support it, he says.