The Native Americans first started colonizing these birds to help protect their crops. They discovered Purple Martins were an excellent pestacide! They use to hang hollowed out gourds in the trees near the crops, and the Purple Martins significantly reduced the amount of insects near the crops. As an added benefit, the mating martins would chase away predators predators such as crows that had a damaging effect on crops as well. Did you know that Martins in the Eastern United States are entirely dependant on man made martin bird houses?
The martin bird house started out as hollowed out gourds and now they come in all shapes and sizes. They live in apartment style houses or closely grouped single family homes. Martin bird houses can be made from a number of different materials, such as gourds, wood, metal, plastic and even Styrofoam. Most commonly in suburbia you will see the apartment style of one martin bird house with lots of holes and separate internal compartments.
Purple Martins can require a lot of work. You will be a pet owner for the months that they are nesting. In order to have a colony successfully nesting you will have to monitor the house, so no predator, such as the European Starling and House Sparrow, nest in the martin bird house before the martins do. Once the colony has moved out it is time to clean house. Clean the nests out and blockade the openings until next season. But they are dependant on you to provide them with housing!
Though a martin bird house can be a lot of work, you will notice that the entertainment you get from these fun creatures well outweigh the maintenance. These amazing wild birds will clean your yards of pests and provide you with a source of entertainment in return for your house cleaning!
Suggested Reading:
- 4 Musts to Consider For Your Purple Martin Bird House – Another consideration of the purple martin bird house you purchase is to make sure that inside the individual unit, there is at least 7 inches of space. Purple Martins can grow relatively large and need this extra space for free …
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Building a birdhouse can be a fun, educatonal and rewarding experience. Creating a structure that a wild animal will call its home and then watching an animal family grow up is something everyone should try in their lifetime. But how do you get started? Start with high quality bird house plans. There are many to choose from incompassing all skill levels. Finding the right bird house plan for you is the most important step.
Choosing the Best Bird House Plan for You!
Whether your a skilled craftsman or just starting out there are several skill levels when building a birdhouse. What you need to consider is how much detail you would like for your birdhouse. The more detail on the birdhouse, the more complex the project. The skill level involved is not effected by the species in most cases, so first think about what skill level you are and then decide on the species of bird you would like to attract.
Birds are very picky, each species has their own requirements. They don’t usually care about the aesthetic features of the home. They care about three main things… Is the opening big enough for them go get in, is there enough living space inside and where the birdhouse is located. Other than that they don’t really care about they style and design of the birdhouse you choose to build. Take careful consideration of the birds in your area when choosing your birdhouse plans. You will be surprised how many different species their are where you live, but just make sure the bird house plan you choose to accommodates a species that nests in your area.
Other Tips to Consider when Choosing a Bird House Plan.
With every bird house there is basic maintenance involved. Make sure to choose a bird house plan that allows you to easily maintain your featherd freinds new home. Even simple bird house plans should have detailed information about the species for which you are building. Information like where to locate your bird house, special maintenance issues, protection from predators, and how to attract the birds of your choice.
As with anything, a little careful planning with detailed bird house plans, can make even the most complex bird house seem simple.
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