> Enter your request : Water source. Martins are often found around
> water sources. How much water do the Purple
> Martins need on a daily basis and how much water
> do they get from the insects they consume? Or
> would you say that martins do not require a water
> scource to servive?
> Thanks,
> Bryan

Our Reply...

Bryan,

Purple Martins usually locate their nests with in 2 miles of a clean water supply. The closer to the nest site the better. They thrive on nest sites attached to end of docks on fresh water lakes. Our colony is on the edge of a small lake.

They get some water from the fluids found in the insects they eat, but not enough to sustain them for long periods of time.

They usually drink on the fly by dipping their beak into the water as they glide across the surface of a lake or pond. We see them routinely dipping for water in the early morning and again during the later afternoon.

They can survive for several days without water as the migrate twice each year across Gulf Of Mexico or the Carribean Sea . It is thought they are able to drink on the fly during rain showers during over sea crossings.

Thank you for visiting the Central Florida Bird Watchers web site and for your great question

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