Purple Martins

•  The Purple Martin is the largest of the North American swallows.
• It can be distinguished from other swallows by its large head, thick chest and broad, pointed wings.  No other swallow has a dark belly. In fact, the adult male Martin is entirely bluish-black.  As for the female, she has a bluish-black back with a dingy grey-brown chest and a paler dirty grey belly.  She also has a grey collar around the back of the neck.
• In eastern North America, the Purple Martin has nested almost exclusively in nest boxes for more than 100 years. Among birds that use nest boxes, this song bird is unusual in that several pairs will nest in a single box with multiple compartments. However, one male will attempt to defend multiple compartments.
• The Purple Martin not only gets all its food in flight, it gets all its water that way too.  It skims the surface of a pond and scoops up the water with its lower bill.
• It breeds especially near water and large open areas but can also breed in saguaro cactus, and in western montane forests around beaver ponds.
• The Purple Martin clutch size is 1-8 eggs.  Egg color is white.  Incubation period is 15-18 days.  Chicks fledge in 28-29 days.
• Posted by: snackshackforbirds.com