Do Purple Martins nest in backyards?īackyards are a common choice for nesting purple martins, particularly those where householders have carefully prepared for their arrival, by setting up specially designed houses for their summer visitors to raise their young in.Ī wide range of style and designs of nest boxes and gourds are commercially available, with some rather elaborate layouts used in an attempt to provide luxury living quarters for these large visiting swallows where they can be observed at close range. If the previous nest structure remains in place, they will simply add new fresh green leaves as a nest lining. Purple martins commonly revisit and reuse previous nest sites in subsequent years. Geographical location influences the choices of nest site, with artificial nest boxes widely favored in the east, and natural sites utilized in the west. Nests are constructed in cavities in trees, purpose-built houses, and inside cracks in buildings. Purple martins breed across the southeast of the United States, with populations also breeding along the Pacific coast. Nest Location Where do Purple Martins nest?

To learn more about the most suitable sites, designs, colors and sizes of boxes to use to stand the best chance of attracting nesting pairs of these large swallows, keep reading as our guide to purple martin nesting covers these topics in depth. When nest boxes are set up, it’s a good idea to offer a number of different cavities to attract several pairs of nesting birds. Purple martins are communal nesters, and prefer to set up home in close proximity to neighboring birds of the same species. A nest of twigs and pine needles, lined with fresh leaves, is built inside the cavity. Purple martins are cavity nesters, opting for nest boxes and gourds, cracks and crevices in buildings, or natural hollows in cacti and dead tree trunks. Our guide discusses the typical breeding behaviors and nesting habits of purple martins, so please read on to find out more. North America’s largest swallow, the purple martin’s ( Progne subis) nesting habits are influenced by the region it inhabits, with nest boxes preferred by populations in the eastern U.S., and natural crevices and hollows favored by birds resident in the west.

Purple martin song