• SIMILAR BLACK BIRDS

In the martin interest there are birds that are troublesome due to the same nesting predilection to man-supplied housing/cavities as Purple Martins. These are Eastern Bluebirds, House Wrens, Tree Swallows, House Sparrows, European Starlings and some others. Great Crested Flycatchers also show a penchant to nest inside martin houses in some areas of the country.

One very important thing for Purple Martin landlords to know and understand is that many of these birds are protected by state and federal wildlife laws enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and various DNR state depts. Those who break the laws and harm these birds and are caught are subject to long prison sentences and/or heavy fines of thousands of dollars. Over the last century, there have been many reasons established why these laws exist and why they are enforced. It was for the protection of native birds that the Audubon Society came into being at the turn of the 20th Century.

Purple Martin landlords should be able to clearly identify Purple Martins and be able to distinguish them apart from their nest-site competitors, or similar black birds.

Many times, folks generically and mistakenly refer to Purple Martins as blackbirds, and as so, many times are confused with other birds of black color like Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, and even, European Starlings.

European Starlings and House Sparrows are introduced non-native species to this continent. Because of their nonnative status, they do not enjoy any protection of any state or federal wildlife laws. So, if one is controlling, restricting and/or trapping these birds at the martin colony site, one must be fully aware of what the wildlife laws are. They must also know what birds are protected by law and what can be trapped and controlled.

The following is a description of common birds in which Purple Martins may be confused due to size and/or color.

Please note: Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds are native species and are protected by law.

  • COMMON GRACKLES.   

L 121/2" in length. These large and very common birds have long, rounded tails and definite, large glowing yellow eyes. Common Grackles exhibit a striking iridescent blue-black color, just like Purple Martins, however the Purple Martin is dwarfed in size compared to the much larger Common Grackle. Martins are 8" in length and the Common Grackles are 12 1/2" in length.

  • RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS.  

8 1/2" in length and are similar size to martins. Red-winged Blackbirds do not show any interest in martin housing because they are not cavity nesters but are grass cup nesters of wetlands type areas. The Red-winged Blackbird males are handsomely conspicuous with their red epaulet patches on their shoulders. These patches of red are stikingly touched in bright yellow. Red-winged Blackbird females are similar to European Starlings in coloration or to very large sparrows. The Redwinged Blackbird females are more discreet birds and are not always frequently seen by many.

  • BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS.    

71/2" in length and similar in size to martins. These are not cavity nesting birds and will not be typically seen in or around martin housing. Actually, many folks know that these birds do not even build nests but instead have traditionally laid their eggs in other birds' nests. The cowbirds can be distinguished from martins in that the cowbirds are dark colored, almost black bodies with brown heads (males). Females are brownish and streaked. Cowbirds have a finch type of beak like House Sparrows.

  • STARLINGS.  

8 1/2" 75-86 grains. Starlings are almost 1/3 larger than Purple Martins. And, notice that martins will have the swallow forked tail! Notice that on adult Starlings in breeding plumage they are iridescent black with a long yellow bill. This yellow bill is an excellent field mark. (Martins do have dark, black beaks.) In fresh fall plumage, starling feathers are profusely speckled and take on an iridescent speckled appearance. Their beaks are darker at this time of the year also.

Someone told me once that starlings' flight was similar to the Purple Martins, so I watched the flight of the starlings after that, then I decided that there was something to it. The Purple Martin and the starling are similar in size, color, and flight! Two things that always give the Purple Martin away are its deft and fluid flight and the distinctive voice of the males that announces its arrival. No mistaking the martin there! Once your brain imprints on this sound, you will recognize it even if 6 or 1 months pass without hearing these delightful sounds.

  • THE FOLLOWING ARE NATIVE BIRDS AND ARE PROTECTED BY LAW

  • SWIFTS. 

These fast flying birds spend most of their time in the air foraging for insects at the same altitudes as Purple Martins and only landing to build nests and raise their young. The National Geographic Fieldguide to North American Birds describes them as having "long pointed wings bend closer to the body than those of the similar swallows." In my opinion, their flying can be described as very erratic. And, when I look at them in the sky, they resemble bats in flight. Sometimes, I think that they also look like flying CIGARS! Their bodies just look like that, long and tube-like with no indications of any tails. I doubt that many people have ever seen these birds sitting still on a tree branch. An interesting fact is that Swifts are anatomically related to hummingbirds and not in the same family as swallows.
(Family Hirundindae): These are birds with slender bodies with long, sharply pointed wings. While swifts fly more erratically, swallows have a more smooth flight in the air. Swallows are aerial insectavores and flight artists. Swallows are social among themselves and can be seen, many times, perched together, all in their own personal space between each other, on utility lines and tree snag branches.

  • SWALLOWS IN GENERAL.  With special permission from popular wildbird fieldguide, The National Geographic Field Guide to North American Birds (Second Edition), the following descriptions of Tree and Barn Swallows are taken:

LENGTH OF BIRD

Purple Martin, 8" (20cm)  Tree Swallows, 5 3/4" (15cm) Barn Swallows, 6 3/4" (17cm) Chimney Swifts, 5 1/4" (13cm)

  • TREE SWALLOWS

Dark glossy greenish blue above, greener fall plumage; white below. White cheekpatch does not extend above eye. White of underparts may extend a little onto rump. Juvenile is gray grown above, white below, usually with a grayish breast band, more diffuse than in BANK SWALLOW. First spring females show varying amounts of adult color on crown and back.

 

 

  • BARN SWALLOWS

Long, deeply forked tail. Throat is reddish brown; underparts usually cinnamon or buffy. In all juveniles, tail is shorter but still noticeably forked; underparts pale. Common; generally nests on or inside farm buildings, under bridges, and inside culverts, in pairs or small colonies.

 

 

  • PURPLE MARTIN  

Male is dark, steely, blue-black in color. Eyes and beaks are black. Females and juveniles are brown-gray above and lighter below. SYs (Second Year Birds) males have some purple feathering on their breasts. Some may have as little as one purple feather and others will have a very mottled purple chest. They may also have purple feathers on their heads giving them a Batman mask appearance. Purple feathers may also be on their crowns, chins and necks. In flight, the male especially resembles the European Starling. The Purple Martin is the largest of the swallow family. SY females appear pretty much like adult females (ASYs/ After Second Year)

Adult PM Male
Copyright:
Joe Dellinger

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