  
The Purple Martin is the largest
of the North American swallows. Purple Martins are a migratory
species that breeds along the West Coast and in the eastern and
central portions of the United States, and in parts of Canada and
Mexico. While martin populations have grown in the East, their
numbers have declined in the middle of the United States. This
species nests in open and semiopen areas, including savannas,
cultivated lands, fields, parks, pastures, near lakes and marshes
and in towns and suburbs. Purple Martins can reach fairly high
densities when martin houses are present.
One of the major reasons people fail to attract Purple Martins is
that they place the martin housing incorrectly. Martins have very
specific space requirements. Their housing should be in the
center of the largest open spot available, about 30-120 feet from
human housing. Place the housing where you can see it so you can
enjoy watching and hearing the martins. There should be no trees
within 40 feet, preferably 60 feet. In the southern half of their
breeding range, martins are less fussy about house placement, so
sometimes housing can be within 25 feet of trees and still
attract martins. But the farther housing is placed from trees,
the better. Housing height should be about 10-15 feet. Don’t
attach wires to the house or pole, especially if they lead to
trees, buildings, or the ground. Predators can use the wires to
access the housing.
The breeding season begins in late March in the southern part of
the range, but not until late May or early June in the northern
parts. (In Florida, however, nest building can begin as early as
February.) As with many native cavity-nesting species, Purple
Martins compete with House Sparrows and European Starlings for
nest sites. In many regions, such as the eastern United States,
martins are extremely dependent on human-provided martin houses.
In the West, however, Purple Martins nest more frequently in
natural sites, such as abandoned woodpecker holes, cliff
crevices, and in the cavities of oak, sycamore, ponderosa pine
and spruce trees.
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