BlueEyes5
Mosquito Eater
Purple Martins' diet consists primarily of insects. Purple Martins are renowned for their appetite for mosquitos. Many homeowners and bird lovers erect Purple Martin hoses to attract this natural "mosquito control" bird. After all, studies suggest an adult Purple Martin can consume over 2,000 mosquitos a day. On a given day, however, martins will consume a wide variety of insects, and only a fraction of that is mosquitos. Other insects on their diet include: dragonflies, flies, beetles, moths, ants, grasshoppers, and even bees and wasps.
Don't plan on seeing a martin at your bird feeder. They do not eat seeds. In rare situations of bad weather or when food is scarce, you may find them on the ground searching for worms, grubs, and other bugs.
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Mosquito Eater
Purple Martins' diet consists primarily of insects. Purple Martins are renowned for their appetite for mosquitos. Many homeowners and bird lovers erect Purple Martin hoses to attract this natural "mosquito control" bird. After all, studies suggest an adult Purple Martin can consume over 2,000 mosquitos a day. On a given day, however, martins will consume a wide variety of insects, and only a fraction of that is mosquitos. Other insects on their diet include: dragonflies, flies, beetles, moths, ants, grasshoppers, and even bees and wasps.
Don't plan on seeing a martin at your bird feeder. They do not eat seeds. In rare situations of bad weather or when food is scarce, you may find them on the ground searching for worms, grubs, and other bugs.
Best viewed large