Kingbird attack

wroeske22 · Tue May 31, 2022 9:58 pm

Second year trying to get Martins here. Yesterday an SY visitor showed up, he peaked in a few compartments and checked himself out in a mirror for a bit. He flew off the house and was attacked by a kingbird, who almost brought him to the ground, he then started to fly up and was bombed by two tree swallows, he flew away without looking back. I’m wondering if any one has any suggestions on getting a pair to stay with bullies hanging around.

Dawn song is playing, half the housing is pre-nested, t-14 with natural and plastic gourds, mirror, mud smears, SREH’s, 0 HOSP, four wide open fly ways, and next to a pond. Not sure what else I can do besides wait and hope.

BillieJR · Wed Jun 01, 2022 1:05 am

Gosh - that's too bad! I have a pair of kingbirds here, too, but so far I haven't seen them bothering any visiting martins. They better not start either. Man - those poor martins have to defend themselves against so many different birds - it's no wonder they don't always stick around.

Good luck - I hope you have a successful year!

dsonyay · Wed Jun 01, 2022 7:57 am

Yeah kingbirds are aggressive and territorial. I have nesting kingbirds in the area and every now and then one will perch nearby the martins and chase a few.. but that’s the extent of it. After a while the kingbird flies off. Kinda scary tho

Spiderman · Thu Jun 02, 2022 11:14 pm

Kingbird has his good and bad qualities. He will attack just about any bird in his space. He is just going to be the boss. He will attack martins but I’ve never seen a Martin really harmed.

He will attack a Cooper’s hawk head on and will drive him off. So he also is a protector of the Martins in a sense. I’ve never had a problem with them nesting close by.

randyM · Sat Jun 04, 2022 12:59 am

I had a western kingbird nest smack dab in the middle of my colony in an old plastic heath house that I modified from 12 to 6 rooms. The nest was in the front compartment and 4 of the 5 young that hatched fledged. Few if any encounters occurred between the pair of kingbirds and any martins during the entire nesting season. I have both western and eastern kingbirds nesting in nearby trees this year and they all work together with martins and other species to chase any hawks from the area. Be patient, if you have a good site the martins will eventually find it an take up residence...it took me more than 5 years to get my colony started and has flourished in the 6 years since my first pair nested. I expect to have over 100 nesting pairs this year. Keep the faith, it will eventually happen for you and be worth the wait and effort.

Randy

Spiderman · Tue Jun 07, 2022 2:19 pm

randyM wrote: ↑
Sat Jun 04, 2022 12:59 am
I had a western kingbird nest smack dab in the middle of my colony in an old plastic heath house that I modified from 12 to 6 rooms. The nest was in the front compartment and 4 of the 5 young that hatched fledged. Few if any encounters occurred between the pair of kingbirds and any martins during the entire nesting season. I have both western and eastern kingbirds nesting in nearby trees this year and they all work together with martins and other species to chase any hawks from the area. Be patient, if you have a good site the martins will eventually find it an take up residence...it took me more than 5 years to get my colony started and has flourished in the 6 years since my first pair nested. I expect to have over 100 nesting pairs this year. Keep the faith, it will eventually happen for you and be worth the wait and effort.

Randy

For South Dakota those are impressive numbers.I can’t imagine the short season and how cold it must be there when the Martins arrive in the Spring.

mjfog · Tue Jun 07, 2022 5:19 pm

Hello Bird Lovers,
Birds don't have "bad habits." If a hawk kills a martin, some of us call that a "bad habit." But the hawk, owl or snake are just doing what all creatures do. They must feed to stay alive so they can survive and raise their own young. Lord knows how many birds I've seen being chased by my martins. Are my martins exhibiting "bad habits?" No, they are just trying their best to protect their territory, young and each other. It goes both ways.
We erect our martin colonies on our property and must consider the consequences. We aim to attract martins. Concentrations of prey species attract predators. Do what you can to "predator proof" your colony and enjoy what Mother Nature provides.
Recently saw a "Kingbird Attack" post. This should rank at the very bottom regarding the safety of your colony. I remember an incident where a martin in my colony chased a crested flycatcher. Was a bad idea! The flycatcher did a 180 and showed the martin who's boss. But, no blood, no foul. Mother Nature in action. Pick your fights, Mr. Martin.
Posted a message to the Martin County Audubon Society (Florida) this season. Members and friends were welcome to come out to my property, visit my colony and participate in a "nest check." Have had 5 groups this season; one couple has a rack but after listening to my diatribe asked me to come to their place and check to see if the rack was placed in the proper location. Whoa! I'm becoming a "Martin Whisperer." Three of the visitors are nature photographers. With their permission, I'll try to get some of their photos posted on the forum.
Happy Martining, Be gentle to hawks, owls and snakes. "The only good snake is a dead snake!" I saw this in a post recently. Be kind to all wildlife, even snakes. Snakes particularly need help. They get the same rap as our native Americans - "the only good Indian is a dead Indian." Be kind, Mike