Purple Martins Eat Mosquitoes

Purple Martin is a classic example of a predator of mosquitoes that eat mosquitoes whose capacity to decrease mosquito populations has frequently been drastically overstated. Yes, they do eat mosquitoes, but not nearly enough to be considered an effective method of reducing mosquito populations. The founder of the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA), ornithologist James Hill, states in a quote from the AMCA's frequently asked questions page that "the number of mosquitoes that martins eat is relatively little, and they certainly don't manage them." In-depth research has revealed that the percentage of mosquitoes in martins' diet ranges from 0 to 3 percent.

In reality, during the day, purple martins typically eat larger flying insects like June bugs, moths, bees, butterflies, wasps, and, regrettably, dragonflies, another creature that naturally preys on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are typically most active in the hours before and after dusk, when our friends the martins are typically feeding in the trees, well above the most of mosquito activity. Although the purple martin is a stunning bird, it is likely that it would prefer to catch a nice, juicy Japanese beetle or any other large-bodied flying bug over a thin little mosquito, like other natural predators that occasionally eat mosquitoes.