Socks, I'll also refer you to the link I posted earlier. There's so much information at the PMCA site that you may enjoy reading. Purple Martins have the unusual distinction of relying upon man made housing for safety while breeding. If there's not enough housing in one colony, they'll search for another place. If my housing were to be destroyed and not replaced, they would search for another but would come back here first to see if housing was available. If they didn't have housing, they would find shelter in trees but would not breed. Once breeding is over and the young ones have fledged, they will start to gather in large groups called "roosts" and prepare for migration. The smaller roosts will meet up with larger groups to form "super roosts" and these are visible from radar! The roosts are generally in trees and they gather for the night. As far as the same birds returning year to year, I can't prove it with my little colony but I do recognize certain birds from year to year. The only way to really prove that is by banding, but you have to be certified to band birds. There are couples that prefer certain housing units over another. We proved that this year by only opening the newer housing first. They kept on checking out the older ones and the minute we opened them, they swooped in and made themselves at home. The young birds (SY) will come back to where they hatched. If they find housing, they will settle in. If not, they'll search nearby. Here's a picture of my current 108 unit set up. Pay no attention to that leaning pole....it's been up for a while!

Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments. I do look forward to the Purple Martins return from their winter vacation in Brazil. Socks...When the PM eggs hatch, the chicks are called "hatchlings" or "chicks" until they leave the nest at about 28-32 days old. At that time they will be as big as the adults and are called "fledglings" or "HYs"...birds in their Hatching Year. In late summer all the PMs, HYs included, migrate to Brazil where they spend the winter eating, growing, relaxing, molting new feathers, and building up strength for the return migration to their nesting areas all over eastern North America. When this year's chicks/HYs, return next spring, they will not be the solid dark color of the adults. They are then considered "Second Years", or SYs. The males will have at least one, but usually several black feathers on his chest and belly area. The SY females are much lighter versions of the adult females. SYs will sometime breed, but most don't. Normally, SY females will mate with an adult (ASY) male more often than a SY male will mate with an ASY female. And, just to mix things up, you'll sometimes see a pair of SYs matched up. Now the seasons change and they again migrate to Brazil. After they arrive, the SYs will molt into their final color phase and be considered ASY (After Second Years.) Once they've reached this stage you won't be able to tell if a PM is three years old, or 10. I'll post photos that show the age/sex differences later, or check out the Research Links and Download Center of the PMCA. It has a wealth of PM information. Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Martin Conservation Association

That's great to hear! Control the non-native EHSs and you'll get Blue Birds, or Tree Swallows, or Chickadees, or Nuthatches, or...any of the other native cavity-nesting lovelies. Did you know EUHSs are the main culprit in the near extinction of the native BBs and Purple Martins? Thanks to good "landlords," they're slowly coming back. My friend has had a pair of BBs raise three clutches a season for the past three years in her small suburban back yard in Delaware. The poor blue birds are desperate for housing. She didn't think she'd attract even one pair. I had more confidence in her birding skills and wasn't the least bit surprised at her successful fledge rates! LOL Each year she has at least two pairs of BBs and one pair of Tree Swallows. This year she also discovered nesting robins, cardinals, and house finches on her little property! She's planted the shrubs and areas these birds love. She added fresh water that's always available and she's in the bird business. I've had "fly by" attacks of bluebirds the past four springs. They zoom by my houses (set up in "perfect" BB habitat, LOL, with water, supplelmental treats, and not an EHSs in sight, and they still haven't built a nest. This year they did actually land on the box, so I'm considering that a step in the right direction. I'll keep trying; in fact DH set up another house for me in our neighbors' empty field/yard. (With their blessings, of course!) I do have nesting tree swallows and a pair of chickadees are seriously considering one of the nest boxes in the front yard.

My PMs returned on April 28! I have beautiful songs and long swooping flights all over the place. The 16 gourds will provide safe housing/nesting areas for up to 16 pairs of birds. There is usually one or two males that will claim more than one gourd. His female will nest in their main one, but he won’t allow other martins in “his” empty gourd. I think I had 12 successful pairs last year. I’ll have to check my records. Spring migration is spotty this year. The Northern “Baltimore” orioles and Rose-breasted grosbeaks are back. I have several warblers, red-polls, and Harris’ sparrows passing through, too. The tree swallows are back, but no barn swallows yet. I sprinkle dried, crushed eggshells on the edge of the driveway for all the birds. All the swallows love them. I also have a gorgeous red-headed woodpecker hanging around the suet feeders with the Downey and Hairy WPs. The goldfinches are just starting to show a bit of their summer yellow color.