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Home > Learning Center > Purple Martin Birdhouse Plans
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of Purple Martin Birdhouses.
Purple martin birdhouse plans are not overly complex, but there are certain specifics that must be present. This is because the purple martin is a species that competes with the foreign European starling for nesting space. The starling is slightly larger than the martin, and so making the entrance size of a purple martin’s house large enough for the martin but too small for a starling to come in and take over is important.
Purple martins are not an endangered species, but their numbers have seen rapid decline since European starlings were introduced into their habitats. Constructing a birdhouse for them from purple martin birdhouse plans is an easy way to help with conservation efforts for this distinctive species. Once you erect a house in your yard, you want to watch it and ensure that purple martins roost there, as opposed to other swallows or smaller starling breeds.
The simplest purple martin birdhouse plans take just a few minutes to create. A dried gourd can be used for a home; all that needs to be done is drill a hole of the proper side on the downward slope of the gourd, but not in the bottom of it. A downward facing hole will ensure the house does not flood during storms. Keeping the hole off the bottom gives the martins a space to create insulated nesting within the house for their young.