Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas

I have s&k house and within a week of martin arrival, they removed the tip plastic perches as well as the stick perches on the upper 4 chanmbers. I have rebuilt the roof top perch and would like to reinstall it but so far the recommendations are mixed.

Leave it until next year and install it, or install it now should be no issues... Any takes ??

Sparrows..grrrrr

Thank you for sharing your experience—your dedication to your S&K house and your Martins truly shows.

When it comes to reinstalling the rooftop perch, opinions can certainly vary depending on timing and the current stage of nesting. Since your Martins have already removed some of the perches themselves, it is likely they are asserting their preferences for space and flight clearance. That behavior is not uncommon, especially in systems where perch placement might interfere with flight paths or dominant pair activity.

According to the Purple Martin Association of the Dakotas, one of the best guiding principles is to consider how any modifications impact access, monitoring, and comfort. While S&K houses do offer flexibility, they do not always adhere to some of the enhanced standards we advocate—such as deep compartments and ample perch-free flight space above entrances. In fact, extra rooftop perches can sometimes cause conflict between birds or provide advantage points for non-native species like House Sparrows (which, as you said—grrrrr!).

If the perch does not interfere with your ability to lower the housing for monitoring or cleaning, and you are confident it will not become a sparrow roost or cause territorial aggression, you could reinstall it cautiously. However, if your colony is already established and doing well without it, you might consider waiting until next season. That way, you can reassess and perhaps make additional upgrades—like improving predator guards or modifying apartment depth to better align with the PMAD standards for healthier fledgling development.

I hope this helps you make the best decision for your colony. Please feel free to reach out if you would like a comparison of other housing features or sparrow control tips.

Hello edavies

As mentioned PM generally dont remove perch's!
They very much enjoy them instead!
Would guess, an owl has been visiting!
Might check housing, using a Brite light, once it gets dark
Might hear them, Sounding off at that time as well.
If so step out & make a Loud Bang, a pair of short 2x4 brought together, may send um over to next County!

I would Lower the house around 3 PM & add the perch.

Upgrading to double Cubys, with crescent entrys & a Predator pole Guard, for Comfort & Safety, are all recommended!

Best Luck

I have the crescent entrances and next season I plan on sealing off entrances and doubling compartment sizes. If everything works out this year, next year I will add adional housing and hopefully grow.

hmmmm and so it goes. I decided to put the perches back. Preditor guard need to be unplugged. Bottom section of tripole half way down and pow.. I dropped it all. Now the top section is jammed. No perches replaced and absolutely negative work. I'll blame it on the sparrows.