In the Midwest, the northern part of the range, martins start ... Creating a purple martin neighborhood is an old practice. Precolonial Native Americans hung up empty gourds for the birds to ...

House sparrows and starlings also make their nests in cavities, and as they extended their range, they began pushing out the native populations of purple martins. Even if the purple martins get to ...

The purple martin is a songbird that is a native of the swallow family ... “Over the majority of the purple martins’ range, they are unable to nest naturally any longer.

See the scout map: Where purple martins have been seen ... “Over the majority of the purple martins’ range, they are unable to nest naturally any longer. Human-provided nest boxes are the ...

"Something that's kind of relevant to Cherokee County is that back before Europeans settled here, Native Americans would actually hang up empty gourds for purple martins," said Hulbert.

People have long sought to attract purple martins, which are known for their aerial acrobatics, tolerance of humans and pleasant songs. Native Americans hung hollow gourds in trees or on poles to ...