Purple martins in brief

In spring and in fall

Hironbec

Patience is certainly the greatest virtue of every purple martin enthusiast.

On average, purple martins will take a good three years before taking up residence in the house made available to them. That said, purple martins have often been seen moving in the very first year.

Being close to water is without a doubt something that attracts purple martins. But there are many exceptions to this rule. In fact, a large number of known colonies have developed many kilometres inland.

To help the birds discover the house, there is a tape recording on the market that plays the song of the purple martin. You simply play the recording in the morning, preferably early, until the purple martins discover the presence of the new site.

Some enthusiasts use purple martin silhouettes (decoys) to fool the birds. The ploy is not to be overlooked when trying to attract a first pair.

If you already have a purple martin colony, keep the compartment entrances tightly closed until the first purple martins actually appear. Otherwise, if you are waiting for a first pair, a few compartments should be left available (first week of May) to the first martins that fly over the house. But be careful: you will have to be doubly vigilant to counter the stubbornness of the house sparrows that will want to nest there.

By the end of July, most of the young martins will have left the nest. The houses must be left in place until the martins depart on migration. This allows the juveniles to locate the houses in your area (especially the unoccupied ones) for the following year.

In September, the vast majority of purple martins will have left for South America. This is the ideal time for a thorough cleaning. An easy job for those who have used the Hironbec drawer.

Avoid detergents; wash generously with clean water. Then close up the house tight by blocking the entrances.

One piece of advice, though: the houses should not be stored indoors or in the garage, as parasites could (sometimes) infest the premises. Hironbec houses are designed to stay outdoors all year long. You lower the house, clean it, block the entrances, then raise it back to mid-pole.

In spring, it is a good idea to spray a little Sevin in each compartment (carbaryl at 5% concentration, available at a garden centre). Should the house ever be infested with lice, it would be better to use Sevin at 50% concentration. Repeat the treatment during the season if necessary. This product can be found at your veterinarian's.