What are martins?
Martins are a group of songbirds belonging to the swallow family. There are about 30 species of martins found worldwide, with the most common in North America being the purple martin. Martins are migratory birds that winter in South America and return to North America in the spring to breed.
Martins are known for their speed and agility in flight. They have streamlined bodies and long, tapered wings, allowing them to fly long distances as they migrate. Martins are also highly social birds that nest in colonies, often utilizing man-made martin houses provided for them.
Some key facts about martins:
- Size: 6-8 inches in length
- Color: Iridescent blue-black plumage
- Diet: Insects caught in flight
- Migration: Winters in South America, summers in North America
- Nesting: Cavity nesters, utilize martin houses
- Behavior: Highly social, nest in colonies
Overall, martins are admired for their aerial abilities and their intricate social behaviors. Their willingness to utilize man-made nest boxes has also facilitated close relationships between martins and humans.
Do martins make good neighbors?
For many people, one of the biggest considerations about attracting martins is whether they will be good neighbors. Below are some key factors to consider:
Insect control
Martins are voracious predators of flying insects. A colony will consume thousands of insects each day, including many species considered pests. Martins help control populations of mosquitoes, flies, moths, beetles, wasps, and more. Their presence can reduce the need for insecticides.
Lack of mess
While martins are messy nesters inside their houses, they do not create mess problems outside for neighbors. Their droppings tend to remain inside nesting cavities. They do not frequent feeders and they do not scavenge food scraps.
Minimal noise
Martins make twittering and gurgling sounds near their colonies. But these vocalizations do not occur overnight and martins do not start calling loudly until well after sunrise. Their noise levels are relatively minimal.
No aggression or danger to humans
Martins pose no risk of harm or danger to humans. They do not exhibit territorial aggression towards people. Martins basically ignore human presence as they focus on catching insects and caring for their young.
Aesthetic appeal
The sight of martins gracefully swooping through the sky to catch insects is enjoyable. Their iridescent feathers shimmer in the sunlight. Martins add aesthetic value with their presence, especially when utilizing well-crafted nesting houses.
So in summary, martins make very good neighbors for humans. Their beneficial insect control, lack of mess, minimal noise, indifference to humans, and aesthetic appeal mean they integrate seamlessly into suburban and urban areas. Few other backyard birds offer as many rewards.
What are the benefits of attracting martins?
Here are some of the top benefits that martins can provide:
Natural insect control
Martins are voracious consumers of flying insects, including many pests. They can help reduce mosquitoes, flies, wasps, moths, beetles, and more. This decreases the need for chemical pesticides.
Entertainment
Watching martins swoop through the sky performing aerial acrobatics as they catch insects provides free entertainment. Their speed, agility, and group behaviors are interesting to observe.
Organic lawn fertilization
The droppings deposited inside martin houses are rich in nitrogen. This natural fertilizer can be safely collected once nesting season ends and used to fertilize lawns and gardens.
Lower risk of West Nile virus
By reducing mosquito populations, martins can help lower the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus. Their presence reduces this public health risk.
Ecosystem balance
As predators of pest insects, martins play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystem balance. They help regulate insect populations without the use of toxic chemicals.
In summary, by naturally controlling insects, providing entertainment, fertilizing soil, reducing disease risk, and promoting ecosystem balance, martins offer homeowners and communities many diverse benefits beyond simply being interesting to observe.
What are the drawbacks of attracting martins?
While martins provide many advantages, there are some potential drawbacks to consider as well:
House maintenance
Martin houses require annual cleaning and maintenance. This involves checking for needed repairs, removing old nests, and ensuring the house is ready for the next season.
Risk of infestations
Used nests can harbor parasites like mites, fleas and bird lice. Wearing gloves and respiratory protection when cleaning houses reduces this risk. Discarding old nest material properly is important.
Messy nesting materials
Martins bring all kinds of natural items into nesting cavities which can fall to the ground below. This includes feathers, leaves, twigs, mud, and more. Regular cleaning under houses is necessary.
Risk of bites
House sparrows may also be attracted to martin houses and may usurp nest cavities. Sparrows can bite when nests are checked or cleaned. Care should be taken when doing maintenance.
Need to protect from predators
Houses must be properly sited so martins have clear flyways without obstruction from trees or wires. Predator guards should be installed to keep out owls, raccoons, squirrels and other nest predators.
In summary, the drawbacks of martins require some extra work and vigilance on the part of homeowners. But proper house maintenance and predator protection practices will allow enjoyment of martins while minimizing any negatives. The benefits martins provide are well worth these modest drawbacks.
Should you build or buy a martin house?
If you want to attract martins, you will need to provide suitable nesting sites. The two main options are building your own martin house or purchasing a ready-built one. Here is a comparison:
Building a House
- Less expensive
- Design/customize to your preferences
- More time and effort required
- Need carpentry skills and proper materials
Buying a House
- More expensive initial cost
- Wide variety of pre-built designs and features
- Professionally constructed
- Can be installed immediately
Key factors in deciding are budget, carpentry skills, time commitment, and design preferences.
For many homeowners, buying a pre-constructed cedar or aluminum martin house with built-in predator guards and cleaning access is the best option. Reputable brands like Nature House, Troyer, Erva, and Nestbox Niche offer quality houses in varying price ranges.
Advanced do-it-yourselfers may choose to build their own more customized houses out of weather-resistant wood, plastic or aluminum. Plan designs are available online and in books.
Either way, be sure to properly site houses with optimal flyways and minimum obstructions. Proper maintenance and protection from predators is also essential. With some guidance, both built and bought houses can successfully attract martin tenants.
Where is the ideal location to place a martin house?
Properly siting a martin house is critical to attracting and maintaining martins. Here are some key tips on ideal placement:
Open flyway
Martins need an open flyway allowing direct access to their house. This means no trees, wires, fences or other obstructions in their flight path within about 30-40 feet.
Visibility
Houses should be visible from preferred foraging areas like open fields, wetlands, or water. Martins find houses by sight as they fly, not smell.
Pole mounted
Mount houses on top of poles 15-20 feet high. This keeps nests safe from predators and provides martins ideal flight access.
East-facing entrance
Face entrances eastward so morning sunlight helps warm houses and compartments, critical for raising young.
Near vegetation/water
Locate houses within 100-200 feet of open vegetated areas and water sources where insects will be abundant.
Away from buildings
Avoid placing houses directly on human-occupied buildings, as martin activity may cause noise or mess issues. Freestanding poles are best.
With good visibility, predator protection, eastern sun exposure, proximity to foraging and water, and open flight paths, a properly sited martin house will be readily attractive and accepted by martins seeking nest sites. Follow these guidelines for placement success.
What design features should you look for in a martin house?
Not all martin houses are created equal when it comes to quality, durability, and features needed to successfully attract tenants. Here are key design factors to look for:
Multiple compartments
Houses with 6-12 or more individual nesting compartments allow martins to colonize.
Ventilation holes & drainage
Holes near the roofline provide ventilation. Drainage holes or weep holes prevent water buildup.
Easy cleaning access
Doors or removable walls to easily access all interior compartments for monitoring and seasonal cleaning.
Predator guards
Guards of cone baffles, stovepipes or PVC pipe should surround entry holes to deter predators.
Durability
Houses made of weather-resistant cedar, aluminum or plastic will be more durable over seasons of use.
Open interior design
Avoid enclosed boxes which can trap heat. Opt for open, ventilated porches to prevent overheating.
Expandability
Look for options to add additional modular units as martin numbers grow over time.
Quality martins houses meeting these design criteria will better attract martins, keep compartments cool, prevent predation, and require less continual maintenance or replacement. Invest in the best house you can afford and your martins will reap the benefits.
What maintenance does a martin house require?
To keep martin houses safely usable over many seasons, they require some yearly maintenance. Here are key tasks to perform:
Fall clean-out
After martins have migrated in the fall, thoroughly clean out all compartments, discarding old nests, feathers and debris.
Repairs
Inspect houses for any needed repairs to cracks, holes, guards or poles. Perform fixes to ensure structural integrity.
Parasite control
Thoroughly clean interiors and treat exposed wood with diluted bleach to kill any parasites from old nests.
New bedding material
Some fresh pine straw bedding material can be added to compartments in spring to attract returning scouts.
Paint/stain
Consider exterior re-painting or re-staining if needed to protect wood from weathering. Follow non-toxic paint guidelines to avoid harming martins.
Predator guards
Ensure all entry holes have secure conical plastic or wire guards to prevent access by predators. Replace if damaged.
With proper structural repairs, parasite control, bedding, painting, and vigilant guarding against predators, martin houses can remain safe and usable for 10-15 seasons or longer. Annual maintenance is key.
What are some tips for attracting martins to use a new house?
It can take patience and persistence to initially attract martins to find and start using a newly installed martin house. Here are some useful tips:
- Mount the house on its pole by early March before scouts arrive.
- Ensure the house is properly sited with ideal flyways and visibility.
- Play martin dawn chatter calls near the house to grab attention.
- Provide some open mud and water sources nearby for nest building.
- Add gourds or painted decoy compartments to spark curiosity.
- Be patient as it may take 2-3 seasons for martins to fully colonize.
- Avoid nest competitor species like starlings and house sparrows.
- Use recommended techniques to attract scouts and discourage competitors.
With excellent placement, the right habitat, visual attractions like decoys, and audio lures like recorded dawn calls, martins will eventually notice and investigate your new house. Follow these tips to maximize your chances of a successful first-season occupancy!
Conclusion
In summary, martins offer numerous advantages to homeowners including natural insect control, entertainment value from their behaviors, soil fertilization from their droppings, and promotion of healthy ecosystem balance. They are also convenient, mess-free, low noise level neighbors for humans.
While martin houses require maintenance and vigilance against predators, the benefits martins provide make the modest efforts well worth it. Properly built and sited martin houses with regular upkeep and protection from predators can successfully attract martins to colonize and return year after year.
By providing the ideal durably constructed house in a location with open flyways and prime visibility, and using techniques to attract scouts, you can convince martins to take up residence. Once established, a colony will provide natural pest control, aerial entertainment, and other rewards that only martins can deliver. Welcome martins as your summer neighbors and appreciate all the natural benefits they offer.
