Belonging to the swallow family,martins are native to North America.
These birds are popularly known for their high speed and agility as they dive down from the sky with their beautiful wings tucked in neatly to their bodies.
The population residing in North America attracts these birds by building purple martin bird houses thereby helping in their successful reproduction.
This is a major reason why martins are found in large flocks here.
Myths about Purple Martins Some say it is easy to get these birds to live in the bird house they have built while others find it difficult to nest them.
Over the years, people have developed several myths about martins and they associate them to the failure in attempting to attract them.
However, this is not true.
The only reason one fails to nest these little swallows is the geographical location or poor housing facilities.
Another common misconception present amongst most people that end up building purple martin bird houses is the belief that the birds consume mosquitoes as their diet.
This is true only to a certain extent.
Mosquitoes are only a part of their diet.
So if you were planning to set up a martin house to get rid of mosquitoes, drop the idea totally! Living Habits of Purple Martins Individual houses or a single big structure with divided compartments is preferred by these birds.
Just like humans, they are picky about where they live.
Moreover, if you want to attract a good number of martins, there are some rules that need to be followed and one of them is picking the right sized purple martin bird houses.
Some people allow other birds such as starlings and sparrows to rest in the house made for purple Birds when they don't show up for long.
This is a habit you need to change immediately.
Martins do not prefer other birds to nest in their house.
In addition to this, the starlings for example are most likely to kill the martins which is why purple martin bird houses should be used for them only.
If it is the first time you are creating a bird house for purple you will have to take real care about how well these martin bird houses are designed and maintained.
In some cases, the birds have been observed living in a substandard situation, the main reason for which is that these little creatures have no other alternative.
For those who are just about to start building purple bird houses from scratch, put some thought into it, add your creativity and see how you can best arrange housing for the martins.