Martins gone crazy?

[Guest]

I have a question I hope someone can answer. My house has a front porch with an overhang. There are approx. 3 purple martins trying to build a nest on this overhang. The start of the nest is on a ledge about a half inch wide. Also it is right at my front door. What can I do about trying to get them to nest in a bird house on my front porch instead of on my house? Thanks.
Tod

[Guest]

Are you sure they're Purple Martins? Sounds like a Swallow maybe...a barn swallow or a tree swallow??

[Mary Dawnsong]

Hi,

Those birds are definitely not Purple Martins.
Martins are our largest swallow and nest in communal housing in open areas.

Their cousin, the Barn Swallow, is a smaller bird with a buffy colored chest and deeply forked tail. It builds mud shelf nests and often locates them above door ledges and on porches.

For much more info on Barn Swallows see:
http://americanartifacts.com/smma/per/b4.htm

Note that the above website offers artificial Barn Swallow "nests".
You may be able to offer some in locations of your choosing, rather than theirs. However, Barn Swallows will not nest in a bird "house".

My best, Mary

[John Miller]

Might also be phoebes. If the nest is made of mud pellets, then it's barn swallows. Phoebes use bits of moss.

John Miller

[Guest]

Thank you both. They are barn swallows. Any ideas on how to get them to move their nesting site from outside my front door?

[Mary Dawnsong]

I've never done it, but Richard Van Vleck has...

http://americanartifacts.com/smma/per/b4b.htm

(He also consults on the subject. You could try asking him for help via email.
But watch out... you may become a data point.
Scroll 3/4 down this page for his "analysis" of his Barn Swallow email:
http://americanartifacts.com/smma/per/b4info.htm )