Bird Identification

[Guest]

Can anybody help me identify the bird in this photo?
We installed a birdhouse with the hope of getting purple martins to move in, but we got mostly sparrows on one side of the house. ON the other side, we've got some birds that look like this. Any idea if it's a purple martin or not?

i cant figure out how to post an image so click here






thanks!
-Jax

[Mary Dawnsong]

Hi and welcome,

That is a non-native European Starling.

For more info about the starlings nest and eggs, read through this webpage:
http://home.earthlink.net/~chuckabare/pests.htm

My best, Mary

[flyin-lowe]

Check the yellow beak this is a starling the enemy of the purple martin. You need to trap or kill these birds if you are going to keep the round holes on your house. They will destroy your martins nest and kill the martins and there young. You can do research on hear and get an SREH entrance. (starling resistant entrance hole.) If you allow these birds to take residence you will never have a successful PM colony

[Mary Dawnsong]

Hi Jax,

The long, sharp, yellow beak is the weapon the starling uses to kill Purple Martins, Bluebirds, woodpeckers, and other songbirds when he steals their nest sites.

The Purple Martin is about the same size as a starling, but has a short black beak that is wide at the base. It is a beak specialized for catching insects on the wing.

Male martins who are 2+ years old are solid black purple.
Younger martins and female martins are mostly brown on the back and mostly grey on the chest and belly.

There are great photos of martins on the web.
Click on this page to see dozens of photos:
http://www.link not allowed/id61.htm

Your martin house looks much too close to a tree!
Martin house location is critical. Martins want their housing out in the open, away from trees, with wide-open flight paths. For more info, scroll down to the Location section on this page:
http://purplemartin.org/main/mgt.html

Martins can be very difficult to attract, especially in the North. This article gives you the basics for attracting martins:
http://purplemartin.org/main/topten.html

Jax, we want you to start a martin colony! Please keep asking questions!

There are great Canadian landlords on this forum, including some in your city.
One of my favorite websites belongs to Bob Buskas of Alberta.
http://www.wtc.ab.ca/northernskys/

Hope to hear from you, Mary

[Guest]

Dear Jax:

"Mostly sparrows" on one side of the house and European starlings (the bird in your photo) on the other side = ZERO Purple Martins.

From what I can see in your photo, you house appears to be on a fixed pole, so that you can't lower it. Or is that a telescoping pole? Also, it looks like that house might not open up so you can inspect and clean the cavities. If you can lower and open the house, you need to do so and remove all the nest material that the house sparrows and starlings are bringing in. If you can't, then you need to close up (plug) all those openings to prevent the S&S (Sparrows and Starlings) from breeding in there, and put up more managable housing away from your trees.

Please see the first page of this web site where there are several very good article to help newbies choose, set-up, and manage martin housing. Then, go to the Archives section of this Forum, where you will find many more useful posts, including controlling the invading S&S.

Please keep reading and posting; we would love for you to be able to attract (and KEEP!) Purple Martins at your location.