Purple Martins are aerial insectivores. This means that they only consume flying insects. They will not go to the ground or bird feeders to eat. It is estimated that a single martin can consume as many as 2000 insects a day. This makes them a very desirable bird species to have around your property. These are migratory birds that return starting in February and stay here to raise their young through September.
Now is the time of year that Purple Martin Landlords should have their bird houses ready to receive the in-coming "Scouts" that have begun to fly through our area. Older, more mature purple martins are the first to arrive here in Central Texas. These birds will typically return to the same housing unit they used the previous year to raise their young. The sub-adults (those birds hatched over the last two years) start arriving 1-2 months later and are the ones that will colonize new houses. Anyone wanting to establish a new colony will need to get their houses installed within the next 6-8 weeks. This post was contributed by Danny Martin, owner of Purple Martin Propagators. He is available to answer any questions you may have about purple martins. Purple Martin Propagators are a full-service supplier and installation company of martin houses located right here in Austin, TX. Call Danny at: (512) 825-4712 or visit his Web Site at: www.BirdHouseInfo.com
