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How to Build a Martin Birdhouse Out of Gourds

Building a purple-martin house out of a gourd is a simple task but takes months to accomplish. Start with bottle gourds or birdhouse gourds. Use gourds to increase the number of accommodations around an existing martin house or to create new housing. You will need a grouping of 10 gourds to attract martins, as they live in colonies. Generally, you need to hang your houses by February to attract birds looking for new nesting sites. In far northern locations, the birds may take until summer to claim their nests. Hang your gourds each year and the same colony will return to nest on your site. Does this Spark an idea?

Things You'll Need

  • 8- to 13-inch gourd
  • Soap
  • Measuring cup
  • Bleach
  • Towel
  • Steel wool or fine-grade sandpaper
  • Power drill
  • 2 1/8- to 2 1/2-inch hole saw
  • 5/16-inch bit
  • Copper wire
  • Wire cutters
  • Spoon
  • Rubber gloves
  • Bucket
  • 1 pound copper sulfate
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Instructions

  1. Selecting and Curing

    • 1

      Select a gourd 8 to 13 inches in diameter with a few inches of stem still attached. The top of the gourd is the tapered end where the stem attaches.

    • 2

      Wash the gourd in hot, soapy water and rinse it in a 10-to-1 solution of water and bleach. Dry off the gourd with a towel. Place the gourd in a warm, dry location for three to six months, turning it often, so the gourd can cure. When the seeds rattle inside, the gourd is ready.

    • 3

      Wash the gourd again in hot, soapy water and carefully scrub it with steel wool, or clean the gourd while dry using very fine grade sandpaper to remove any mold. Rinse the gourd and allow it to dry. Washing and rinsing will not soften a cured gourd.

    Preparing the House

    • 4

      Use a 2 1/8- to 2 1/2-inch hole saw to drill an entrance hole in the gourd. The center of the hole should fall along the widest part of the gourd’s body. The hole should not face upward toward the sky or rain may flood the interior. The hole should not face the ground, as the young birds may fall from the nest.

    • 5

      Drill eight evenly spaced drainage holes around the circumference of the bottom of the gourd using a 5/16-inch bit.

    • 6

      Drill two holes for the mounting wire using the same bit. Place these to either side and 90 degrees from the entrance hole and approximately 2 to 3 inches from the top of the gourd. Between the holes for mounting the wire, add four more evenly spaced ventilation holes around the circumference of the gourd’s neck, approximately 2 to 3 inches from the top. Angle all of these holes upward to prevent rain from draining into the gourd.

    • 7

      Thread a length of copper wire between the mounting holes after you complete the preservation process in Section 3. The length of the wire needed may vary, as you should hang the gourd so that it will swing freely.

    Preserving the Gourd

    • 8

      Spoon out the dried seeds through the entrance hole.

    • 9

      Don a pair of rubber gloves. Submerge the gourd in a solution of 1 pound copper sulfate in 5 gallons of warm water for 15 minutes.

    • 10

      Drain the gourd and allow it to dry. Do not rinse. This preserves and extends the life of the gourd.

Tips & Warnings

  • Painting the gourd is an optional step. The National Wildlife Federation recommends using varnish or shellac instead of paint. If you choose to paint, sand the gourd and then paint it with two coats of an oil-based or latex primer and paint. Allow the paint to dry between coats, and check that the drain holes have not clogged with paint. Select a white paint because this color helps keep the interior of the gourd cool.

  • Attach the copper wire to a support wire or post 10 to 15 feet or two stories high. The wire should extend over an open area without overhanging limbs or wires, located more than 30 feet from any areas of human activity.

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