Where Do PMs Go All Day After Young Fledge?

[Terry Suchma]

From Diane in North Dakota:

Help!!

Our Purple Martins usually leave us here in ND on or by August 15.

Since they have gotten the last young one out of the nest they are gone all day from early morning until late evening, just before dark. We are wondering if anybody knows where they go all day or what they are doing???? Thanks for any information or ideas you may have.

Diane LuCeile

Dear Diane,

Once the PM young have fledged the nest in your birdhouse, the parents will wrangle them all together into the birdhouse every night for a few nights, up to a week or so.

After that the young birds and their parents will seek refuge in the trees for night roosting. They may return to their birdhouse now, but only for visits and joining up with other neighboring PMs and their young.

The PM parents and their fledged young are out and about and the parents are teaching the young all they need to do before they make the long 2000+ mile trip back to Brazil. They are learning to forage for insect foods and are now dealing with the real, harsh bird world. Every day out of the nest is a day closer to the day when they birds will make the long arduous trip to Brazil. They must be strong, bulked up and smart for the long trip and post breeding season ahead.

For you, there will now be only fleeting glimpses of your martins and their young until next year, then none at all. And almost disquieting atmosphere will now permeate our yard as the martins and all other birds are now finished with their nesting cycles and are no longer singing as they were early last spring.

It is a sad time of the year for me. But, the good news is that spring will come again and so will the martins and all the backyard birds.

Terry