NNormally here in San Angelo Tx, purple martins arrive mid February. One time that I recall, as early as late January. This year in mid to late Feb, we had freezing weather and snow. After the snow thawed, found a dead purple martin, but had not seen any live ones. Finally on March 1, several martins arrived. All told I have 72 compartments but have never had 100% capacity. Like to hear when martins arrived other areas.

They are cool birds but I do not have martin houses. Their favorite food is dragonflies. I'd rather have the dragonflies around!

Here their favorite fare is mosquitos + all flying night vermin. But yes, their primary decision is Dragonflies, oh what the hell, everyone has to eat, eh?

Most people think their favorite food is mozzies. Not true! I have a nice pond here and really enjoy the various species of dragonflies it produces. Fun watching them while I fish.

Years ago it was thought purple martins eat mosquitoes. Then a study of stomach content of dead martins showed they do not. Were these dead baby martins? I'd think trying to feed several baby martins would be a feat and larger bugs would be fed to them. If it was stomach content of adult martins,
where were they getting dead adults from? I know I have fewer mosquitoes when the martins are here.

I would reckon dragonflies and other insects to be better mosquito predators than most birds.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I would reckon dragonflies and other insects to be better mosquito predators than most birds.

I built Swallow boxes on the side of the house and we've have nested Violet Green Swallows in the summer for two decades. You can practically set your watch to their departure every July 5-10.

Gifted fliers!!

We sometimes sit on the deck enjoying an adult beverage with friends in the summer and a Swallow will fly right through the group of people like nothing.

We have large and copious mosquitos to keep them happy and well fed.


J&J

On the farm we had a martin house.

The cow birds and starlings were always raiding it.

My mother hated those two types.

When I was five out and about with my BB gun.

My mother saw a starling sitting on the edge of the martin house about to enter.

She looked at me and told me to go shoot it. I snuck up close enough and killed it.

My first official kill as a hunter.

There are a plethora of ideas on how to build the perfect Martin House, I know, just go into the local coffee shop @ 4:00 A.M. + set at the big table with all the old farts expounding their "knowledge". Actually, sometimes you can learn something. All that is true but getting back to helpful info, I built me as a 3 story (metal of course) painted white that had a railing around each nest opening, the bottom of each opening being trimmed to the deck of the balcony so they would walk out to + not walk off the end. i mounted it on a 20' pole by the garden about 60' from my house.

Purple martins are particular about their house. There are some dimensions if not right, the martins wont use them.