A lovely female Purple Martin surveys her kingdom from high atop her perch at Yates Mill Park in Raleigh, N.C.
Getting purple martins to accept a new martin house can be challenging.
Sometimes several years may pass before you may reach the goal of attracting the desired residents. Or maybe you might succeed the first day the house is up!
Birds. Ya, they’re like that, lol!
Here’s an idea that may help.
Don’t put your martin house up until four to six weeks after the first purple martins arrive. Or if it’s already in place, keep the holes plugged until then, to exclude starlings and sparrows. The goal is that you’re trying to attract young purple martins who are still open to the idea of raising their families someplace new.

Photo by @sally_siko
Canon 5DS