Purple martins nest in
colonies. Over 1 million people put up martin houses, but many fail to attract any birds because of poor placement. Below you will find free purple martin bird house plans for building, installing and caring for these birds as well as how to increase your chances of attracting them.
House sparrows and European starlings are purple martins greatest threat. In
fact, some biologists have estimated that today's purple martin population is
only 1/10
of what it was during the mid 1800s, before these species were
introduced. Purple martin house plans have been now designed in a way to
maximize nesting discouragement of house sparrows and starlings.
Missouri Department of Conservation
2-level, 12-room purple martin bird house plans from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation. Plans are a pdf file.
USDA 2-Level Design
USDA Cooperative Extention design for 2-level, 16-room house. This is a pdf file.
House sparrows and European starlings are purple martins greatest threat. In
fact, some biologists have estimated that today's purple martin population is
only 1/10 of what it was during the mid 1800s, before these species were
introduced. Purple martin house plans have been now designed in a way to
maximize nesting discouragement of house sparrows and starlings.
Here is a video that give some general information about Purple Martins as well
as the types of houses they are attracted to nest in:
Purple Martin Bird House Plans How To Build Video
There's some great deals on ebay for Purple Martin Houses too:
And
we highly recommend the Stokes Guide Book to
Attracting and Housing Purple Martins.
It is a comprehensive guide that will help ensure that once you build your
own Purple Martin Bird House, you will be able to attract and care for them
properly and maintain your Purple Martin colony for years to come. A detailed
guide with over 100 color photos.
The Purple Martin Conservation Association
This is a great starter page for information about attracting and
managing purple martins. Includes info on location, timing, competition, housing
dimensions, competitors & predators.