Purple martins used to nest in trees. But they've been using houses provided by people for hundreds or even thousands of years. Native Americans began a tradition that we're still enjoying.
Purple
martins love people. In fact, they can't live without us. Or at least
they can't nest without us. They raise their young only in special birdhouses
that people put up for them.
Long ago, purple martins nested in hollow trees, with
no help from people. And then they completely changed their habits. Ornithologists
guess that somewhere, sometime, a few centuries ago or more, a Native
American hung up a hollow gourd at the top of a pole, and a pair of purple
martins raised a family in it.
Maybe the birds' happy-sounding, gurgling songs appealed
to the person. Maybe she liked how the birds caught and ate the flies
that buzzed around the drying meat. And maybe they loved the birds' exhilarating
speed and agility in the air. So the next spring she made sure a gourd
was hanging in the same place, or maybe she put up two or three.
Soon a small colony of birds was gliding around the village,
gobbling flies and entertaining everyone with their music. Other villagers
also began hanging gourds near their homes to attract the beautiful birds.
They found the purple martins fun to watch, and they appreciated the insect
control.
From the purple martins' point of view, the village
commotion gave them some protection from owls and snakes, which will eat baby purple martins if they get the chance.
Other tribes of Native American copied the practice.
Early reports say that the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes mounted gourds
on the branches of bare saplings to attract purple martins.
When the first European settlers arrived and learned
about the friendly birds, they built birdhouses for them also, and North
Americans have been hosting purple martins ever since. Nationwide a million
hobbyists now maintain martin houses, keeping alive an ancient tradition
of cooperation between bird and man.
Martin
houses come in many shapes and sizes. A breakthrough in martin housing is the SuperGourd. This man-made housing emulates the best characteristics of natural gourds. But it's easy to clean out. The chamber is much larger than most birdhouse gourds. And it's been giving
high nesting success. (It's what we now use at Birdwatching Dot Com.)
It's remarkable how completely the birds have accepted
the hospitality of human landlords. Other birds, such as wrens
and bluebirds, also use birdhouses, but they continue to nest in the traditional
ways as well.
Purple martins in eastern US, however, have undergone
a total tradition shift. They nest only in human-provided housing, and
they insist on being within about 30 to 100 feet of human habitation.
They trustingly raise their young in our backyards and towns, sometimes
right in the middle of our business districts.
How to Succeed as a Purple Martin Landlord
SuperGourds - the best housing for purple martins
Deluxe Gourd Rack
The Pole and Winch
The Alamo Martin house
When to Put up Purple Martin Housing
Purple Martin Conservation Association
© 2008 Diane Porter
