Sometime after the noise, excitement, and motion of Mardi Gras dies down but before the festivity of St. Patrick’s Day, some of nature’s most sociable birds will return to Galveston County with a faithfulness that beats that of any student group headed for spring break.
Purple martins, progne subis to avian experts, are the raucous backyard celebrants who rival the commotion of lent’s last festival with their bright, cheerful chatter and incredible aerobatic flight patterns. The time to host these party birds begins now, and, by following a few guidelines, almost anyone can become a proper martin “landlord.”
The return of Galveston’s contingent of martins is not the consistently spot-on affair of some other well-known species. The swallows of Capistrano, Calif., return around March 19, while the buzzards of Hinckley, Ohio, check in around St. Patrick’s Day.
But Galveston County’s purple martins do return to the same nest site or establish colonies in newly erected housing, year after year, just about now, rewarding their host with their presence until late July.
These feathered missiles will put on a daily show for anyone with the time to watch as they intercept invisible insects at heights ranging from rooftops to several hundred feet in the Texas sky each evening.
Returning to the colony house, they generally arrive with wings locked in a level position, like an F-14 approaching an aircraft carrier. Then, with only a last brief backwing flourish, they deposit themselves through the tiny doorway into their private apartment.
Among the birds of Galveston County, only the humming bird can boast superior aerobatic skills, and he always flies solo. Martins perform their joint maneuvers as squadrons, which consist of dozens of birds of all ages.
All that is required to set up as a host is a martin house or gourd — local home centers and Internet shopping sites offer models or the local library can provide books with construction plans — a telescoping pole or winch, and a clear space away from human housing.
The birds and their young will watch and chatter at their human companions and are generally undisturbed by lawn and garden activities. They also bring education and environmental opportunities as they pair up, reproduce and mature.
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Tips
• Homemade or commercial houses can work well.
• The basic cost should be less than $100 for most martin startups.
• White is the best and coolest choice if you paint a martin house, since colonies can overheat in the summer.
• Houses should be mounted so that they can be lowered for cleaning and the removal of the nests of other birds. Failure to eliminate both sparrows and starlings from martin houses can destroy your colony as these invasive species will kill and displace the gentler martins.)
• Martin housing is best mounted well clear of houses with unobstructed flight lines to and from the site.
• Housing must not be attached to any house, garage, shed or tree. It must stand apart from any structures for the birds to adopt it.
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On The Web
Additional advice and accessories can be found at the Purple Martin Conservation Association Web site, purplemartin.org.
