Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas

Owl guards will not hamper new martins. The martin is a very adaptable species. On the PMCA website there is a great owl cage example by a lady named April. If you archive April's Owl gourd or cage you will probably be able to view her owl cage. This is what I use at my martin site.

Another attractor is offering crushed egg shells on a feeding tray near the martin housing and playing the daytime chatter or dawn song CD.

Thank you for the condolences. I use a variety of martin housing, which includes: Highly modified extended depth compartments in a quad pod arrangement, super gourds with modified 4 inch wide PVC tunnels with 6 inch length, Troyer horizontal gourds with Conley 2 entrance and anti wing entrapments. I...

I have SREH for all my housing entrances and have virtually stopped any starling problems. I also use a pellet gun and a repeating ground trap for hops and yellow beaks.

Wood housing is good and you may want to let him know that added insulation will help especially in northern MN. For further info on keeping martins warm, check out the Minnesota website at www.mnmartin.org
Best of luck.

Dabbing a little mud on the exterior entrance will entice new martins to your colony. I have utilized this technique when first starting out.

Sorry on the slow responses. My dad passed away on April 28th and the IPMO has kept me busy. I currently have around 50 to 75 martins right now. The SY are arriving late this year and the PMCA has let us know to expect late arrivals of the SYs. Harsh winter and migration is slow.

House sparrows are a never ending battle and the yellow beaks can be difficult if you don't have SREHs.

The short answer is no. The owl guards will not deter a new pair to the housing. In the long run the added safety will help increase martin numbers at your location. Best of luck.

Sorry about my long delay in responding. Owl guards would not deter first year nesting nor interrupt with their normal habits. Best of luck.