|
If you are a Purple Martin landlord, chances are you are relatively active to obsessively active (like me) about managing 'your' birds. You probably already know the multitude of web sites that provide GREAT info and answers to all your questions.
If you are not yet a Purple Martin Landlord OR want to be more active at managing your housing, read on.
A SHORT list of things that an ACTIVE landlord does
- Of course, does not feed English house Sparrow or Starlings.
- Actively traps and humanely disposes of non-native English House Sparrows and Starlings.
- Uses SREH (Starling Resistant Entrance Holes) on housing to protect against starlings.
- Places predator guards on poles-to prevent snakes, raccoons, etc, from destroying nests.
- Uses tunnels or owl guards to protect colony from owl predation
- Monitors nests for parasites, such as mites and blowflies.
 Then there are early spring freezes, droughts, heat waves, black flies, parasites and a multitude of "natural disasters" that can adversely impact your Purple Martins. In all of these situations, you can do things to help your birds and make a difference. Our links section has a large list of internet resources for you to access the most up to date information on Purple Martins on the web. Check out our YouTube site for videos on doing nest checks, nest changes and more.
Just remember that hosting Purple Martins is not for the faint of heart. But as with many things in life, the rewards are directly proportional to the effort that YOU invest.
Article © PurpleMartinArt.com 2008
|
