How to Build a Purple Martin House

The purple martin is a songbird and a much-desired visitor in the gardens of bird lovers. If you build a purple martin house in your yard the bird will return every year. A purple martin house is different from other bird houses in that it can be hung from a wire so that it swings. Purple martins are not bothered by the swinging, which discourages sparrows and starlings from taking over their home. You can easily construct your own purple martin house from a dried gourd and enjoy their song throughout the spring and summer.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 8- to 12-inch dried bottle gourd
• Steel wool
• Soapy water
• Bucket
• Cleanout access cylinder with lid
• Caulk
• Copper sulfate
• Jigsaw
• Drill and hole saw
• Pencil or marker
• Ruler
• White latex paint and brush

1. Dry the gourd completely. Once cured, it will be covered in residue from the drying process and will need to be cleaned. Soak the gourd in the bucket of soapy water for an hour. After soaking, scrub the outside of the gourd thoroughly with the steel wool until all the residue is gone.

2. Drill the entrance hole into the gourd. Unlike other bird houses, a purple martin house has a half-circle-shaped hole. This keeps starlings from overtaking their nests. To cut the hole, find the center of the bulbous section of the gourd. Draw a 3-inch line. Draw an arch over the line, making it a half circle. The half circle should have a 1½-inch radius. Cut the half circle out of the gourd with your jigsaw.

3. Cut the cleanout access hole on the back of the gourd, opposite the entrance. Measure the diameter of your access cylinder. Use a hole saw on your drill that's the same diameter as the cylinder and drill the hole into the gourd.

4. Drill a hole through the top of the gourd's neck using a small drill bit. This is where the twine will go to hang the purple martin house from. Drill two more holes, angling them upward, on either side of the access hole to allow the house to ventilate.

5. Mix 1 lb. of copper sulfate to 5 gallons of water. Soak the gourd in this solution for at least 30 minutes. This will eliminate any bacteria in the gourd and ensure it lasts a long time. Allow the gourd to dry completely, but do not rinse the copper sulfate from it.

6. Paint the outside white with two coats of latex house paint. Purple martins have become accustomed to white nesting boxes. Let the paint dry completely before proceeding.

7. Slide the access cylinder into the hole you drilled. Use the caulk to seal it in.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have an access cylinder, use a 4-inch-diameter plastic container with a screw-on lid. Cut off the bottom part of the container, leaving it 4 inches tall, and caulk in place. Allow the caulk to dry and then hang your purple martin house and wait for your first tenant.
• Use a respirator or face mask when scrubbing gourds. Clean the nesting material out of your purple martin house every winter for the birds' health.

Resources

• The Purple Martin Society