7 Best Birdhouse Gourds For Purple Martins That Old Farmers Swear By
Learn from generations of farmers how to attract Purple Martins. We detail the 7 best birdhouse gourds for building healthy and thriving colonies.
You hear them before you see them—that cheerful, gurgling chatter filling the air on a summer morning. Purple martins are more than just birds; they’re a sign of a healthy, vibrant homestead. Providing the right housing is the single most important thing you can do to attract and keep them, and nothing works quite like a natural gourd, the way it’s been done for generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Why Natural Gourds Attract Purple Martins
There’s a reason old-timers hang gourds instead of fancy wooden houses. The curved, hollow shape of a dried gourd closely mimics the natural tree cavities where purple martins nested for centuries. It feels right to them, an instinctual pull towards a familiar home.
The benefits go beyond looks. A thick-walled gourd provides excellent insulation, keeping the nest cooler during a scorching July afternoon and warmer on a chilly April night. This temperature stability is critical for the survival of the nestlings. The gentle swaying of a gourd in the breeze also deters many predators who prefer a static, unmoving target.
Of course, using natural gourds is more work than buying a plastic one. You have to grow them, cure them for months, scrub them clean, and drill the holes yourself. But this process connects you to the seasonal rhythm of your land and results in a superior, time-tested home that martins will return to year after year.
Standard Birdhouse Gourd: The Timeless Classic
When you picture a gourd birdhouse, this is probably the one you see. The Standard Birdhouse Gourd, with its classic pear shape and bulbous bottom, is the quintessential choice for a reason. It offers a perfectly sized cavity—around 8 to 10 inches in diameter—for a single martin family to raise their young comfortably.
Its biggest advantage is its reliability and predictability. The seeds are widely available, they grow vigorously, and the resulting gourds are fairly uniform in size and shape. This makes planning your martin colony straightforward. You know what you’re going to get, and it’s exactly what the birds are looking for.
This gourd is the dependable workhorse of the martin world. While it may not have the thickest walls or the most unique shape, it provides everything a martin needs to succeed. For anyone starting their first colony, the Standard Birdhouse Gourd is the most foolproof option. It’s the foundation upon which countless successful martin colonies have been built.
Kettle Gourd: Thick Walls for Best Insulation
The Kettle Gourd is built for resilience. Its defining feature is its exceptionally thick, dense walls, which provide unparalleled insulation. In a world of unpredictable weather, this is a significant advantage. A late spring frost or a brutal summer heatwave is far less likely to harm the chicks inside a well-insulated Kettle Gourd.
Shaped like a squat, round pot, this gourd offers a deep and secure nesting cavity. The depth makes it more difficult for predators like owls to reach in and snatch eggs or young birds. The weight and sturdiness of the gourd also mean it swings less violently in high winds, creating a more stable environment for the family inside.
The tradeoff for this durability is time and weight. The thick walls mean Kettle Gourds take much longer to cure properly, often requiring a full winter and spring. They are also heavier than other varieties, so you’ll need a robust pole and hanging system to support them safely. It’s an investment in effort, but one that pays off in higher nest success rates.
Bushel Gourd: For Large, Thriving Colonies
The Bushel Gourd is all about scale. These giants can grow to be two feet in diameter, creating a cavernous interior that is the martin equivalent of a mansion. This isn’t for a small, backyard setup; this is for the serious landlord aiming to host a massive, thriving colony.
The sheer volume of interior space is the main draw. A larger cavity allows a martin pair to raise a bigger brood without overcrowding, which can lead to healthier, stronger fledglings. The large air volume also acts as a buffer against temperature swings, keeping the nest cooler on hot days. Some folks even create "duplexes" by drilling two entrance holes on opposite sides.
Be prepared for the engineering challenge. A water-logged Bushel Gourd can be incredibly heavy, demanding an exceptionally strong, well-anchored pole. Growing them requires a long season and plenty of space for the vines to run. This is an advanced option, but for an established colony, offering a few of these giant homes can take your martin population to the next level.
Long-Handled Dipper: Easiest Gourd to Hang
Convenience is the name of the game with the Long-Handled Dipper Gourd. As the name implies, it grows with a long, sturdy neck that serves as a built-in handle. This elegant feature simplifies the hanging process immensely. You just drill a hole through the neck and loop your wire through—no need for extra hardware or complicated drilling on the top of the gourd body.
The shape itself offers a few subtle benefits. The long neck can act as a natural rain guard, helping to keep the entrance dry. It also puts some distance between the hanging wire and the nesting cavity, which can be just enough to foil a climbing predator. The bulb at the end is typically well-sized for a martin nest.
The primary consideration here is the potential for a weak point. The handle needs to be thick and thoroughly cured to support the gourd’s weight through seasons of wind and weather. The balance is between its unmatched convenience and ensuring the handle is robust enough for the long haul. When you find a good one, it’s one of the most practical gourds you can hang.
Cannonball Gourd: The Most Durable Option
If you want a gourd that will last a lifetime, look no further than the Cannonball Gourd. This variety is aptly named; when cured, its shell is incredibly hard, thick, and almost perfectly round. It feels like holding a wooden bowling ball. This density makes it highly resistant to damage from weather, woodpeckers, and squirrels.
This durability is its greatest asset. While other gourds might soften or crack after five or ten years, a well-cared-for Cannonball Gourd can serve generations of martins. Its uniform, round shape is also ideal for drilling a clean, precise entrance hole, and the smooth surface is easy to clean and paint white to reflect heat.
The challenge lies in working with it. That rock-hard shell that makes it so durable also makes it difficult to drill. You’ll need a sharp hole saw and a steady hand. But think of it this way: the extra effort you put in on the front end is rewarded with a nearly indestructible birdhouse that you won’t have to replace for a very, very long time.
Maranka Gourd: Unique Shape Deters Predators
The Maranka, often called the Dinosaur or Alligator Gourd, looks like something from another world. Its surface is covered in strange, bumpy ridges and sometimes even wing-like protrusions. While it makes a great ornamental piece, its true value lies in its unique texture.
That weird, irregular surface is a fantastic natural predator deterrent. A snake or a raccoon trying to climb the gourd will find it incredibly difficult to get a secure grip on the lumpy, uneven shell. This built-in defense mechanism adds a critical layer of protection for the eggs and nestlings inside, especially in areas with high predator pressure.
When selecting Marankas, you have to be a bit more picky. The internal cavity can be just as irregular as the outside, so inspect them carefully to ensure there’s enough usable nesting space. Their unique shape isn’t just for show; it’s a functional design that puts a physical barrier between the martin family and whatever wants to harm it.
Apple Gourd: Compact Choice for Small Spaces
Not everyone has room for a towering pole with two dozen gourds. The Apple Gourd is the perfect solution for smaller properties or for hobbyists just starting out. True to its name, it’s a small, compact gourd, typically only 5-6 inches in diameter, shaped much like a large apple.
Its smaller size and lighter weight make it easy to manage. You can hang several from a more modest pole system or even add a few to an existing setup to provide more options for arriving martins. They are easy to grow, quick to cure, and serve as a perfect entry point into the world of being a martin landlord.
The compact size is also its main limitation. The smaller cavity offers less insulation and can get crowded for a large brood. While martins will readily use them, they are best seen as a supplemental or starter option. For a colony to truly thrive and grow, you’ll eventually want to mix in larger gourds that provide more space and protection.
Ultimately, the best gourd is the one that suits your specific climate, predator challenges, and personal goals. Whether you choose the classic reliability of a Standard Birdhouse or the unique protection of a Maranka, you’re participating in a timeless partnership. There are few things more rewarding than watching that first scout arrive in spring, knowing you’ve provided the perfect, natural home for their return.
