Attract this bird

How to attract purple martins to your yard

Purple Martins respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 47 states and provinces.

Photo: Rhododendrites / Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 47, such as Alabama, Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut and 41 more, so set up before spring arrival.

See the Purple Martin in your state →

Plant what purple martins use

These native plants are tied to the Purple Martin in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	42	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	41	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	38	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
White oak Quercus alba	Tree	36	Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum	Shrub	31	Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30	Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Spicebush Lindera benzoin	Shrub	30	Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	26	Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	Perennial	26	Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima	Perennial	19	Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, tree, perennial). Layering matters: mixing shrub, tree, perennial gives purple martins food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Exclusively flying insects caught high in the air.

Warm months: Dragonflies, flies, beetles and moths; Flying ants and wasps
Cold months: Winters in South America — none in North America
At feeders: Crushed eggshells (calcium) offered on a tray near housing

Avoid:

Seed and suet feeders — martins will not use them

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: In the East, nests almost entirely in human-supplied martin houses and gourds.

The Purple Martin uses nest boxes with a 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in) entrance, mounted 10–20 ft on a telescoping pole, 40+ ft from trees. Exact box dimensions →

Clutch: 3–6 eggs
Incubation: 15–18 days
Nestling period: 26–32 days
Broods per year: 1 per season

Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Florida but not until June in Wisconsin. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.

Frequently asked

What attracts purple martins to a yard?

Food they actually eat (crushed eggshells (calcium) offered on a tray near housing), native plants such as American elderberry, Black cherry, Serviceberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: in the east, nests almost entirely in human-supplied martin houses and gourds.

What plants attract purple martins?

Across the Purple Martin's range, the native plants most often tied to it are American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba), Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting purple martins?

Nesting starts around March in Florida and as late as June in Wisconsin. Have cover, water and nest boxes ready a month before.

What should I not feed purple martins?

Seed and suet feeders — martins will not use them.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.