1. Find suitable habitat. Purple Martins nest in open and semi-open areas.

2. Select an optimal location. Place martin houses about 30 to 100 feet away from human dwellings, unobstructed by trees or shrubs within 40 to 60 feet.

3. Paint the martin house or gourd white. White structures are believed to attract martins best.

4. Keep other species out. Use martin houses with starling-resistant entrance holes. Plug holes unused by martins and provide other native species with their own single boxes.

5. At established nest sites, exclude other birds by keeping holes closed until Purple Martins arrive. Martins have extraordinary site fidelity. If they bred at your site the year before, they are likely to return.

6. At new or unestablished sites, open the houses when adults begin arriving only if you provide starling-resistant entrance holes and control nonnative species. If you do not control nonnative species at new sites, keep boxes plugged until four weeks after adult martins arrive in your area in order to attract subadults to new colonies.

7. Discourage predators. Remove vines, brushes, shrubs, and wires that extend near the housing.

8. Build housing to specifications. The optimum floor is 7" wide and 12" long, or minimally 6"by 6". The entrance hole should be 1.75 " to 2.25" wide and 1.75" to 2.25" above the floor.

9. Play a recording of the martin's dawn song to entice investigating martins. Recordings available: see web site below.

10. Mount your martin house on poles that can be raised or lowered easily. You may need to check houses often to evict competitors and conduct weekly nest checks. Purple Martins are very tolerant of humans and will not abandon the nest after these disturbances.