Common Predators of Purple Martins By Ashlynn T Morris

When we talk about Purple Martins, there is a well known fact associated with them. It is a fact that these little birds do not share their martin houses with other birds. The common reason behind this habit is the fear of being killed by birds such as starlings and sparrows. However, these are not the only threatening species. There are other species as well who may cause harm to the martins, preventing them from ever nesting in your birdhouse again. Here are some predators of the purple martins that you should be aware of:

Woodpeckers

As the name suggests, woodpeckers are fond of wood and can ruin the wooden bird house by pecking into the already made holes thereby enlarging them. These birds are not a major threat to the martins; however, having them in your garden would mean the destruction of the martin house. In order to prevent the destruction, it is advised that a 1/16'' thick piece of aluminum should be sandwiched between two pieces of wood which will not let the woodpecker succeed in his mission of enlarging the entrance holes.

Snakes or Squirrels

Animals like snakes and squirrels are classified as climbing predators for the purple martins. These species, in addition to raccoons, love birds and their eggs. Squirrels are quick to grab the egg and one attack by any of these animals may result in the complete destruction of a colony. Moreover, since raccoons are strong, they also possess the ability to tear the aluminum used in the martin house apart in order to get to its prey.

Snakes are also highly dangerous for purple martins. Not only do they climb the bird house pole, but also live in there until every single member of the colony is consumed. If given a chance, a snake can easily clear your martin house before you even realize it.

Owls and Crows

Owls, crows, blue jays, hawks, and coopers are all put into the same category that is commonly termed as the flying predators. Interested in both the adult birds and the eggs, these smart birds will destroy your martin house with great speed. Usually, the adult birds escape and do not return ever again. Since these flying predators are a common sight for the purple martins, the adult birds know how to out maneuver them.

In order to avoid getting your colony of purple martins destroyed by these predators, it is advised that the martin house should be properly placed away from trees and should have a good amount of aerial space around it.

For more assistance, purple martin houses and martin house purple-martins.com

Training the Mata Puteh By Phillip Lim

To speed up the development of [the Oriental White-eye] you may want to try this:

Bring them at least once a week to gatherings ("Chai"). If the form is not up to a certain level, the birds will not "Chai" but there is no need to worry about it in the beginning. Putehs are different from other types of softbill songbirds in that they are neither solitary nor territorial by nature. A Puteh that is not ready for "Chai" may in the beginning shows sign of being intimidated but this will not affect its development of its form later. A reasonably good Puteh, with patience, will develop its form when regularly exposed to environments of the "Chai" arena after overcoming its initial reluctance to "Chai".

Of course, there are instances that no matter how much patience you have, a particular puteh will never "Chai" and can only buka at home. The reason is this type of Puteh is most likely a very low ranking individual in the pecking order of a flock of birds (please don't ask me for scientific studies to substantiate this theory). Now, bringing up the bird's form is not necessarily for the sake of competitions. As hobbyists, most of us would want to see that our birds are in optimal form even if it means just appreciating them at home.

If there is no "Chai" places conveniently located around you, the next best alternative is to bring the bird out as often as you can. For example, when you are going to the neighbourhood coffee shop for a drink, bring them along and hang somewhere while you are enjoying your coffee. Bring them along when you are walking to the nearby provision shop to buy groceries.

In other words, the more frequently they move around instead of staying stagnant in one place (your home), the better for them. Even the best of Putehs when kept only at home, will not be at its peak. The reasoning behind this: unlike a territorial bird that stay put in its territory to defend it, Putehs travel long distances in flocks from the time day breaks, foraging for food far and wide. Each time they stop, they will eat, chirp, buka etc maintaining contact and confirming their pecking order in the flock vocally. This is what hobbyists base their training methods upon to bring up the form of the bird to peak condition. It is about flowing along with the nature of the bird.

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