Finally: Purple Martins

Finally: Purple Martins
Shared by Heather Gallagher
Naturalist
heather.gallagher@nashville.gov
photos courtesy Graham Gerdeman unless otherwise noted

I haven't lived in Nashville long--I moved here around 20 years ago. At that time, the Nature Center had just installed a Purple Martin gourd rack behind the building, and the staff hoped they would host Martins in every one of the 12 gourds.

But we didn't. For years, Martins were absent, or, if they did come, were driven away by European Starlings or Eastern Bluebirds. One year they even competed with Tree Swallows! Still, no Martins.

European Starling, a non-native competitor, and the Eastern Bluebird, a native cavity nester. 

Although a bad year for many of us, this year has been amazing for Purple Martins at the Nature Center. So I asked my friend and Nature  Center supporter Graham Gerdeman to photograph a nest check on a hot Tuesday morning in June.

Martins are cavity nesters, building their nests in holes in trees and fence posts. In the eastern US, they are found 99% in man-made housing such as metal houses or gourds.
They build nests out of straw and heavy grasses, and they place mud at the entry to the gourd. Finally, when the nest is complete, they place one final green leaf on top, kind of like the icing on the cake!

Martins will add mud to the entrance of the gourd as protection against predators

An adult male Martin adds a green leaf to his completed nest. 

Female birds are easy to distinguish from adult males: they have a white to creamy-white breast. Adult male Martins are fully black--almost purple! Females will lay several eggs; I have documented as many as 7 eggs in a clutch. When the last egg is laid, incubation begins, and the female will spend these hot, humid days keeping her eggs warm. She'll do this for a little over 2 weeks, then the first baby will hatch.

Five perfect eggs in this gourd! Martins in Warner Park have averaged between 3-7 eggs each season.

It's about 25 days until the babies leave the nest. Yes, they will fly right out of that gourd, launching themselves into the air over 15 feet above the ground.

Check back next month as we follow the life cycle of these amazing birds!