The early bird might not be the bird for you Purple martins, native to North America, are historically unique because nesting colonies were associated with Native American grower society members who hung gourd houses near their villages. Paulo, a small southern state in Brazil, where nocturnal roosts of 25,000 to 250,000 birds form in town squares.
Martins begin returning to North America in early spring.
A return trip to Oklahoma and Texas entails just over a 3,000-mile trip, one way. These early birds are often referred to as scouts and were thought to be seeking new or better nesting sites. However, research done by martin enthusiasts at the Purple Martin Conservation Association, affiliated with the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, has provided contradictory but helpful information for would-be martin landlords. Martin scouts are older adult birds that typically are merely returning to established colonies. Yearling martins, which arrive four to ten weeks after the scouts, are the ones searching for new colony sites.