Purple martin

Purple martins catch insects high in the sky. In the East they nest almost entirely in colonies of gourds and multi-room houses put up by people, a tradition that goes back to Native Americans hanging hollow gourds.

The eastern purple martin depends almost completely on people for nest sites, making it one of the most striking partnerships between a wild bird and humans. Before migrating, martins gather in enormous roosts, sometimes of hundreds of thousands of birds.

Nest — A cup of mud, grass and green leaves in a gourd or martin house
Eggs — Usually four or five
Incubation — About 15 to 18 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 27 to 36 days
Lifespan — Several years

• Martin houses need to be checked for house sparrows and starlings, which take them over.
• Martins do not eat mosquitoes in large numbers, despite the popular belief; they eat larger flying insects.

• Purple martins control mosquitoes. Mosquitoes make up very little of their diet.
• Scouts arrive first and send for the others. The first birds to arrive are older adults returning to their colonies.

• Tree swallow
• Barn swallow