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Purple Martin

Status Uncommon transient, rare in summer. Breeds. During migration, martins occur all over the province. The normal spring arrival is after mid-April (average 29 April, earliest 6 April). There are two records from Shelburne County of abnormally early martins: an adult male that killed itself against a window on 2 March 1958, and another that was picked up exhausted on 27 March 1969 (both H.F. Lewis). Of our summer birds that return regularly in spring to their favoured nesting grounds, regrettably the Purple Martin is among the rarest. At the beginning of the twentieth century there were a few relatively small and isolated colonies nesting regularly at Windsor; Shubenacadie, Hants County; Truro; Amherst; Oxford, Cumberland County; and probably a few intermediate points. From time to time these small isolated populations were subject to rather severe setbacks, but recovery or partial recovery always took place within one or two years. About 1950 it was reported that none had nested in Windsor for several years: later it was learned that Truro, too, had no martins.

In June 1958 a survey was made of all districts where martins were once known to nest and none were found except in Amherst and Oxford (R.W. Tufts): in Amherst, about 10 pairs were established on the premises then owned by Percy C. Black in Oxford, R.J. Lunn was caring for a colony of about 30 pairs. Both of these gentlemen felt compelled to resort to firearms at nesting time to protect the martins from the more numerous and covetous European Starlings and House Sparrows. At other points on the survey martin houses were no longer in place, it being considered useless to put them out in spring because of the prevalence of the pugnacious starlings. In 1984 there were two martin colonies in Amherst and eight houses (with 16 nest holes in each house) thriving at Oxford. A new colony of two composite houses was established at Collingwood (17 km from Oxford) in 1983. Fall migrants occur widely during August and are rarely seen after September (average 12 September: latest 28 October 1969 on Sable Island).

Description Length: 19-21.5 cm. Adult male: Glossy purplish black; wings duller. Adult female: Upperparts similar to those of male but duller; wings and tail blackish brown; throat, breast and sides mottled light and dark gray; belly white.

Breeding Nest: Usually in houses erected for their use: at other times in cavities of various sorts. The nest is composed of twigs, grass, bits of cloth and other refuse, with a lining of grass and feathers to which are added, as nesting progresses, pieces of green leaves, those from pear trees seemingly being preferred. On 28 June 1928 at Windsor the top branches of a lone pear tree that grew near an occupied martin house on the premises of Basil Colbran were almost denuded of leaves. Other trees were growing nearby but the birds' attention, year after year, had been focussed on this particular pear tree. Whole leaves were not taken, but strips were neatly torn from them, giving the treetop a ragged appearance. Eggs: 5; dull white. On 20 June 1928 a nest at Windsor contained five slightly incubated eggs, and on 6 July 1925 two nests at Truro each contained five partly fledged young.

Range. Breeds from southern British Columbia, central Alberta, southern Manitoba, southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and Nova Scotia, south to central Mexico. Winters in South America.

Remarks The homing instinct of these birds is well developed, as illustrated by an unusual incident: On the night of 6 July 1925, I undertook to transplant two entire families of Martins, two pairs of adults and their respective broods of five each, from Truro to Wolfville. They were transported by auto, each family in its own compartment of a double nest box. On arrival at Wolfville about midnight the whole contraption was placed on a prearranged pole in my garden. The stoppers were then removed from the two entrances, all being quiet inside during that part of the operation. Next morning, considerably after daylight, the four adults emerged, circled about the garden a few times as though getting their bearings, and then disappeared and did not return to their nests. About two hours later a long-distance call from Truro informed me that two pairs of Martins were then circling madly about the top of the old nest pole and scolding vociferously. Seemingly without hesitation they had abandoned their helpless offspring in obedience to a blind urge to return home.

Birds sometimes do strange things. In early spring 1928, Mr. Colbran took down his martin house in Windsor to get it ready for its tenants, expected any day. It contained eight nests from the previous year. Seven nests were composed of the usual materials, but the eighth was composed almost entirely of rusty nails of various sizes, some straight and some bent, with a mere suggestion of grass mixed in with them. He cleared all the rooms and replaced the house, and soon all compartments were occupied. The following spring the cleaning-out process was repeated and again he found one nest composed of rusty nails.