I have 2 adult males thats been here for 3 days now.There was a female adult that they fought over yesterday but she hasn't been back.Do you landlords think that the males will find a female when the subadults gets up here or we they just give up and leave.The one male wants the gourds and one wants the box they just set there and sing away.They leave at dark and come back at daylight.Why don't they just stay here all night or
don't male do that.
Thanks Don
Yes or No
-
Glen Webb Jr
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:03 pm
- Location: Illinois/Stewardson
Yes, they will find a female, regardless of adult or subadult. Even ASY females get pushed out of colonies. Sounds like you have the start of a colony! 
As far as the sleeping thing, when my former colony first started out and I only had two pair, all the birds would leave late in the evening and return sometimes before sunrise the following morning. But once the females laid eggs, the males stayed with them at night.
As far as the sleeping thing, when my former colony first started out and I only had two pair, all the birds would leave late in the evening and return sometimes before sunrise the following morning. But once the females laid eggs, the males stayed with them at night.
-
Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Martins like to be around other martins. When a colony is small, and early in the season, they may feel more comfortable staying with their friends. As the season progresses, they will remain at your colony, but first they must visit other colonies, pair up, and the females must decide to stay at your place. It just requires patience on your part, enjoy them, and hope it all works out...
-
John Miller
- Posts: 4866
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Don
If those guys had breed there last year, they would be spending the night now. Your guys are still establishing a bond to the house now, but sounds like they are pretty serious.
John Miller
If those guys had breed there last year, they would be spending the night now. Your guys are still establishing a bond to the house now, but sounds like they are pretty serious.
John Miller
-
Guest
As Emil says, the females will determine whether your site is successful or not. If they act anything like my adult male that started my colony they will go in search of females starting early in the day. They will bring any females they can lure back to your site and zip into their selected compartments and sing to the female(s). If the female accepts the site you are in business! the males will try and lure them into their selected compartment. Unfortunately it took the females that visited my site several years before they decided to stay. It has been said many times before "it only takes one pair". I am approaching no vacancy now in my third year of having Martins. Dennis