Purple Martin Scouting Season

If You See It, Say It Over the last twenty to thirty years, purple martins have recovered from near-disastrous population declines, mostly because of caring people who put up and properly maintain purple martin birdhouses. The reward of a successful colony is worth it. Of course, the owner of a purple martin birdhouse must always be vigilant and diligent in his or her efforts. After that, the birds will probably return.

For purple martin landlords, site fidelity means that the hardest part of hosting a purple martin colony is getting that first pair or two to nest. If a purple martin pair finds a birdhouse where they successfully nest and raise their young, there is a very high likelihood that they will return to that same purple martin birdhouse the next year. Nesting Site Fidelity Site fidelity is a term describing a very interesting characteristic of purple martin behavior. They get preferred seating, one might say.

Early birds of the purple martin variety are simply adults that know where they are going. They are often still referred to as "scouts" out of habit and familiarity, but it is a misnomer. When a Scout Is Not a Scout It was once believed that the early arriving martins would somehow communicate with other purple martins upon finding a suitable nesting site, but such is not the case. n the following paragraphs, we will discuss what purple martin scouts really are, when to get purple martin birdhouses up and ready for them, and why being a purple martin landlord is an important role.