Purple Martin (Progne subis)


Group	Swallows
Code	ABPAU01010
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Hirundinidae
Author	(Linnaeus, 1758)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	LM (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Mixed Forested/Nonforested or Nonforested Landscapes

      (Fields/Pasture or Residential)
   containing:
      (Snags or Man-made Structures - nest boxes)
   neighboring:
      (Any Open Water)

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	no	no	no	no	no	no
Assorted Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Fields/Pastures, Residential, Lake, Pond, River, Sewage Lagoons & Farm Ponds
Special Features	Man-made Structures, Snags, Riparian

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Literature:

Wolinski. R. 1991. Purple Martin. Pages 300-301 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: In the Midwest the martin is usually associated with open and semi-open areas, most often near bodies of water. Colonies require an area free of trees or other obstacles in flight path to the house used for nesting. Martin houses near occupied human dwellings tend to be used more than houses placed in more isolated settings in pastures or similar situations. Foraging is usually over open fields, water, marshes, and agricultural fields.

Nesting is now almost entirely restricted to wooden or aluminum martin houses with multiple apartments provided by humans. The use of natural sites, such as woodpecker holes or other tree cavities, is seldom seen, or at least seldom reported.

Martin colonies are strongly associated with water, towns, and cities. Martins are absent from heavily urbanized areas.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Farmlands, parks, suburban yards, preferably near water.

Special Habitat Requirements: Large multi-roomed nest boxes, open space for foraging, May occasionally use natural cavities in trees.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Towns, farms, semi-open country near water. In the east, breeds in any kind of semi-open area where nest sites are provided, especially near a pond or river.

Diet: Insects. Feeds on a variety of flying insects, including many wasps and winged ants, and some bees; also many true bugs, flies (including house flies and crane flies), beetles, moths, and butterflies. Dragonflies may be an important part of diet. Also eats some spiders.

Nest: Usually nests in colonies, where almost all are in multiple-roomed nest boxes put up for them. Natural sites are cavities, mostly old woodpecker holes in trees. In the east, most martins now use nest boxes. Sometimes nests in holes in buildings or cliffs. Nest is cup of leaves, grass, twigs, debris, and usually mud. Nest may have raised dirt rim in front to help eggs from rolling out.

Conservation Status: Declining. Reasons are not well known, but competition with starlings for nest sites may be involved.