Purple Martin Nest Box Program

Hoping that Purple Martins would nest at the Lake City Treatment Wetlands, Alachua Audubon and Four Rivers Audubon teamed up in 2018 and purchased and installed an eight-gourd nesting system. The Purple Martins promptly arrived, moved in, and raised young in all eight gourds. Our two Audubon chapters expanded the housing complex by installing a larger, 12-gourd system in 2019, a third on in 2021, and a fourth nesting system in 2023.  Now with 44 nesting gourds, the martins at the Lake City Wetlands have plenty of nesting opportunities, which they took advantage of in 2024 by fledgling over 150 Purple Martins!

Purple Martins at Sweetwater Wetlands Park were not as quick to nest in the gourds as those at the Lake City Wetlands. But the nesting success has increased slowly at Sweetwater, and in 2024, all seven nesting gourds contained baby martins. To capitalize on this success and to increase the colony size, Alachua Audubon received permission from Sweetwater staff to install a second nesting gourd system.  This new unit was installed in December 2024 and is ready for the Purple Martins to return in early 2025.

Alachua Audubon has expanded the network of nesting gourds by installing an eight-gourd system at Prairie Creek Preserve and at Orange Lake Overlook, both properties owned and managed by Alachua Conservation Trust.  We are now anxiously anticipating the discovery of these two new nesting systems by Purple Martins when they return from their southern wintering grounds in early 2025.  Stay tuned!

2/7/2025

   

How exciting to know that even with an expected level of predation and mortality, these colonies of stunning, vivacious, and aerobatic swallows can fledge well over 100 Purple Martins per nesting season. (Photos by Tedd Greenwald)

AAS volunteers Winnie Lante and Rick Williams have researched and ordered several of the systems, organized and installed the arrays, and engineered solutions to make the systems safer and more functional. Tedd Greenwald and Mary Ellen Flowers have helped with installations and checking the nest boxes for nests, eggs and hatchlings.

Gourd installation photos from Lake City Wetlands in 2018 below.