According to the widely circulated claim, purple martins consume 2,000 mosquitoes on a daily basis. It’s an impressive feat, and we can see why homeowners would want these birds in their yards to keep the mosquito population under control. However, we wanted to verify the accuracy of this information and conduct further research. To get to the bottom of it all, we consulted with a specialist. Here’s what we learned about whether or not purple martins eat mosquitoes.
According to Robyn Bailey, who leads the NestWatch project at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it is a misconception that purple martins commonly consume mosquitoes. She clarifies that this is not true for a few reasons. First, purple martins typically search for food during daylight hours, whereas mosquitoes tend to come out at night. Therefore, there is limited time for the birds and mosquitoes to cross paths. Additionally, even if they did overlap, the number of mosquitoes that one purple martin could eat would not be enough to make a significant dent in the population. By the way, if you’re looking to keep mosquitoes away, here are eight plants that have been known to do the trick!
Moreover, according to Robyn, purple martins do not solely rely on mosquitoes for their food source. They prefer to feed on insects that fly high up in the sky and away from where mosquitoes dwell. Surprisingly, a study conducted in Oklahoma discovered that they feed on invasive red fire ants, termites, beetles, and other insects such as dragonflies and damselflies. This might make you think that attracting purple martins to your backyard would solve all of your pest problems. However, Robyn advises against having such high expectations as while purple martins may eat these pests, it is unlikely that their presence alone would completely eradicate or prevent a pest infestation. She suggests that one should not solely rely on purple martins as they do not specialize in consuming particular insects.
Attracting purple martins to your yard can be a meaningful effort in helping the declining population of this species. According to Robyn, having purple martins around can benefit the birds and contribute to the conservation of declining species in your region. These beautiful birds are sought after by birders and can become a source of envy amongst your friends if you can manage to attract them to nest in your yard. However, it’s important to note that they prefer open areas near water, so if you don’t live somewhere that offers those conditions, attracting them may not be possible. But don’t worry, there are plenty of other bird species you can invite to nest in your yard, such as tree swallows, bluebirds, robins, wrens, and chickadees. Regardless of which bird species you choose to attract, observing purple martins in their natural habitat is always a cause for admiration.
