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Purple Martin Conservation Association

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Purple Martin Conservation Association Purple Martin Conservation Association www.purplemartin.org Tom Ridge Environmental Center (814) 833-7656 (phone) 301 Peninsula Dr., Suite 6 (814) 833-2451 (fax) Erie, PA 16505 The PMCA is an international tax-exempt, non-profit organization. Our major mission is educating martin enthusiasts in the proper techniques for managing this human-dependent species. * 2008 by Purple Martin Conservation Association. All Rights Reserved Purple Martin in Adult Plumage Gourds: the First Birdhouses Ferdinand Zimmerer colony Custer County, Nebraska Taken by Solomon D. Butcher in 1892 Ferdinand Zimmerer colony Adult Male (ASY-After Second Year) Adult Female Adult Female (ASY-After Second Year) Subadult Male (SY-Second Year) Subadult Female (SY-Second Year) But — Before You Put Up Martin Housing • Do you live in the martins’ breeding range? • Do you have a good site location with open flyways? • Are you willing to manage the housing? • Are you insane? Breeding Range • Purple Martins breed in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere P. s. hesperia P. s. arboricola P. s. subis Choose a Wide Open Location Away from Trees Get involved with Martins Don’t Do It the Hard Way Avoid Unmanageable Housing Choose Manageable Housing Look for housing that: • raises and lowers easily • offers easy access to compartments • has larger cavities (7” wide x 7” tall x 12” deep) with starling-resistant entrances Some Examples of Manageable Housing Any House Can be Modified & Improved Gourds Are a Good Choice Pulley or winch- operated gourd rack Use Gourds with Access Doors Conduct Weekly Nest Checks • Keep written records • Do daily walk-unders • Participate in Project Martinwatch Management Practices Control Parasites through Nest Replacement Supply Calcium & Grit Protect Martins from Predators; Use Pole Guards Snakes, raccoons and squirrels can easily climb any unprotected pole Every Birdhouse Needs One Netting Guard PVC Guard Stovepipe Guard Protect Against Hawks & Owls Control Nonnative Nest-site Competitors • House Sparrows and European Starlings destroy eggs, kill nestlings and sometimes kill adult Martins. Use Starling-Resistant Entrances Snyder Excluder Crescent Practice Active Management Control Non-native Cavity Nesters * All traps must be monitored to avoid harming native birds Martin Imposters Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Native Cavity Nester ID Eastern Bluebird House Finch Great Crested Flycatcher Tree Swallow House Wren Louise C: Provide Housing for Tree Swallow in Native Cavity Nesters a gourd The right location can host martins, swallows, bluebirds and other native species Bluebirds on a Peterson House First Arrivals, aka “Scouts” • The “scouts,” or oldest martins, arrive first with the subadults arriving about 4-6 weeks later Attraction & Monitoring Aids Attraction Techniques Nest-checking Tools PMCA Information A Martin Landlord’s Goal: • Fledging Healthy Young • Average Success Rate (egg to fledge success) is 50% • In Good Years, 70 - 80% Success Rate Purple Martin Courtship Purple Martins don’t mate for life! Nest Building and Incubation ASY male with Brood patch on green leaf a female Incubation lasts 16 days Young may not hatch on same day How to Become a Martin Egghead a,b,c,d : Purple Martin c e : Tree Swallow a b f : European Starling g : Eastern Bluebird e g d f h : House Sparrow i : House Wren h i Nest Building House Sparrow Tree Swallow Purple Martin Barn Swallow (view from above) Nestling Phase • It takes 28 days to reach fledging age • Young then require 7-14 days of post-fledging care Martin’s Diet: • Martins eat only flying insects • They eat a wide variety of flying insects • Mosquitoes make up only 0-3% their diet! Food on the Fly Supplemental Feeding Saves Martins • Try feeding after 3 days of cold or rainy weather • Offer crickets and mealworms with a slingshot • Transition to a platform feeder • Try scrambled eggs in an emergency Weather-stressed Martins Martin Roosts: One of Nature’s Most Spectacular Events Martin Roosts in North & South America Aerial Photo of Roost in Limeira, Brazil City photo of martin roosts Umstead Bridge, North Carolina Presque Isle, Pennsylvania Presque isle Doppler Radar Showing 11 Martin Roosts Around Louisville, KY August 1, 2003 - Sunrise PMCA Color-banding Study Over 15,000 nestlings banded in 9 years. Interesting Nesting Locations BP Gas Station in Trenton, TN Street Lights in Orlando FL Purple Martins Nesting under Spanish Roof Tiles Okeechobee, FL Bridge-nesting Purple Martins in Sacramento, CA Albinism Won’t You Give Us a Hand? •Become a PMCA member •Distribute PMCA information •Participate in PMCA projects Purple Martin Update Membership Benefits Published Quarterly • The Purple Martin Update is the only publication in North America focused on providing landlords with current information and management techniques The Update features: Attraction & Management Techniques; Shared Experiences; Spectacular Color Photography and How-to Articles PMCA’s Role in Conservation The Martins’ Future is in Our Hands • Scientific Research • Public Outreach • Conservation Projects Conservation Projects Cape May Point State Park, NJ •Public projects help increase awareness of Purple Martins • Why not sponsor a community Martin project in your town? • Schools offer good opportunities for combining education & conservation Martins Need Our Help to Thrive And This is…the End! Thank you! Credits & Acknowledgements We would like to thank the following for contributing photographs: James R Hill III Betty Aitken Patrick Kramer Bob Allnock Mike Kratz Cathy Brouse Steve Kroenke Mike Dingman Joe Marracini Alisa Esposito Joseph Melanson Dave Fouts Brian Naughton Ben Homola Barry Picard Jennifer Horan Jenny Rasmussen Nicole Janke Tim Shaheen Ken Kostka Jeff Wilson Stan Kostka Julie Zickefoose .
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