Syracuse.com - Purple martin house a hit over at Montezuma Audubon Center

[HuntingNY-News]

Another one is slated to be built next year. Man-made houses help the nesting of these insect-eating birds as European starlings and sparrows are heavily competing with these cavity-nesting birds.

Submitted photoI recently met Chuck Gibson, of Lyons, at the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah and talked to me about the sucess at the center of a purple martin house this past year -- and plans to build a second next year.

Chuck wrote:

"Hi Dave, I wish to announce that a second Purple Martin House will be installed at the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah NY. Due to the great sucess with the first house a second house is needed to help the colony grow. Last nesting season produced 66 new Purple Martins, an increace from 28 Purple Martins the previous year.

"You may ask why do we provide houses for Purple Martins.

"Since the introduction of European starlings and English sparrows to this country, all cavity nesting birds now have to compete with them for nest sites. With properly constructed martin houses which exclude starlings, purple martins now have suitable nest sites. Purple martins, the largest member of the swallow family can eat a great number of flying insects each year."

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog