About Purple Martins

Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family in North America. The adult male's color is blue-black, while the female's and sub adult is gray. They are typically eight inches long and have a wing span of twelve inches.

The numerous audible sounds made by the martin are very pleasant to humans. They can fly at a speed of 45 mph, without wind, but have been clocked at 60 mph with the warm southerly wind behind them. The aerial antics of the martin have been a source of amazement for those who have observed them in flight.

The average life expectancy is five to seven years. Martins diet almost exclusively on flying insects, but, occasionally eat crushed eggshells when scattered near the nesting area during nesting season. The eggshells provide the necessary calcium for production of the martin eggs. Many believe that one bird can eat as many as 2000 pesky insects including mosquitos per day. The birds are very clean and will take their own fledglings' waste away from the nesting area for disposal.

The purple martin is very friendly to humans, and usually sit and watch people work close to them. Martins can be tame enough to light on the shoulders of persons who have handled them at an early age. Usually, more of them will be present where there is plenty of human activity.

Martin Houses are typically offered with the capacity to add floors as your colony of Purple Martins grows. They are generally constructed of aluminum, allowing them to be raised to a preferred height averaging 12-14 feet.