An adult purple martin is approximately 8" long and about 2" wide. What part of the poem quietness where the persona is situated. Landlords can use dried or thawed insects. Just gone outside and found one of the house martins nests above my kitchen window has collapsed, amongst the debris I've found 5 live chicks (along with 5 dead ones). I've put them in an incubator and they are moving quite well considering when I put them in there they were hardly moving at all. They are "monkey see- monkey do" birds. Old school and incorrect. Why would you want to? The best way to attract purple martins is to put up a purple martin house in your yard. Yes, house martin birds do eat insects, infact a wide variety. In reality, while they do consume their fair share, it is not enough to seriously put a dent in vast mosquito populations. Once again, let's stop to think. Asked in Bird Behavior What do house Martins eat? Purple Martins eat only flying insects. There is evidence to suggest that the population has declined by 25-50% but it is a difficult species to monitor and so obtain conclusive data. 8 just doesn't go into 6. Wiki User September 08, 2011 5:44PM. House martins typically feed at a higher altitude than swallows, so the two species do not compete with each other. The purple martin (Progne subis) is the largest swallow in North America. The House Sparrows I have around here will eat black oil sunflower seeds like crazy! Another method to try is to put food in shallow dishes and fasten them to porch or cavity floors, or to interior walls. Nothing! Traditionally, house martins used overhanging cliffs and rock ledges on which to build nests, but house eaves mimic this habitat adequately and are more widespread. Purple martins do most of their feeding between 160-500 feet high (50-150 meters). Martins drink and bathe while skimming over the surfaces of bodies of water. House Martins are summer visitors, typically from mid-April until October. In some light they may even appear green in color. Because they eat thousands of insects each day, do not require bird feeders, and can nest in compact colonies, birders only have to take a few steps to make their yard suitable as prime purple martin habitat. Just about the time summer hits and baby martins are fledging, I get a lot of emails about young that have bailed out of their nests (called jumpers) because of either the heat or parasites (or for whatever other reason) and the landlord wants to feed and care for the young bird(s) until they are old enough to fly. beautiful birds. If they start building nests before the martins arrive or continually try to usurp the martin house, board up the entrances for a few days until … Some wild birds that eat mealworms include, but are not limited to, certain species of the following – Bluebirds, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Robins, Tanagers, Warblers, and Wrens. Elsewhere in Europe it is known as the house swallow (hence the Dutch Huiszwaluw ) and window swallow (the French name is hirondelle de fenêtre ). Anonymous. Top Answer. They find lots of nutrients down there! It has a distinctive white rump with a forked tail and, on close inspection, white feathers covering its legs and toes. House martins tend to breed in colonies and whilst they are not so loyal to particular nest sites as are swallows, nevertheless many do … Log in to reply to the answers Post; reggie. Fledged young from first broods often help their parents feed a second brood. Yes, house martin birds do eat insects, infact a wide variety. Purple martins are large, iridescent swallows and highly desirable backyard birds, and attracting purple martins can be easy. They will not come to your feeder, bird bath or fountain. How high should the house be? They love to eat mosquitoes, beetles, flies, dragonflies, and moths. The house martin is a small bird with glossy blue-black upper parts and pure white under parts. We've put together a fun visual guide about feeding garden birds (4.56 MB) that you can print out and keep. House martins have few predators and are protected by the law, but that doesn’t keep them safe from sparrows. Board up the birdhouse until sparrows leave.