The 'Colony Condo' Purple Martin House | Birds Choice Coates Original 3-Floor 12-Room Aluminum Habitat

The Experience

For the Purple Martin landlord ready to scale, the right nesting box doesn't just house a colony — it grows one. The Coates Original 12-Room is the mid-tier flagship of the most trusted name in purple martin housing, delivering three floors of precision-engineered nesting compartments in a lightweight, all-aluminum structure that has anchored serious martin programs across North America since the early 1980s. More rooms mean more breeding pairs, more fledglings, and a more dynamic colony season — and every feature on this house is purpose-built to support that outcome from first scout arrival through end-of-season cleanout.

Scientific Engineering

• Aluminum Construction: Aluminum is the material of choice for purple martin housing — cooler than plastic in peak summer temperatures, structurally superior to wood, and fully impervious to rot, warping, and weather degradation across decades of seasonal use.
• Reflective Roof: Engineered with a reflective surface that attracts Purple Martin scouts during spring arrival — a passive recruitment feature that measurably increases first-season and year-over-year colony establishment rates.
• Ventilated Roof System: Roof ventilation maintains interior thermal regulation during peak nesting season, reducing heat stress on nestlings during critical development windows.
• Hinged Access Doors: Each of the 12 rooms features a hinged door for direct nest monitoring, parasite management, and end-of-season cleanout — the baseline requirement for responsible colony stewardship.
• Porch Dividers: Integrated dividers prevent male porch domination across all three floors, reducing inter-colony aggression and supporting stable multi-pair occupancy throughout the season.
• Guard Rails: Perimeter guard rails on every floor protect fledglings from premature departure during the critical pre-fledge period.
• Door Plugs Included: Season-end door plugs allow the landlord to close and secure all rooms during the off-season, deterring house sparrows, European starlings, and other cavity-nesting competitors.
• Stainless Steel Hardware: All exterior fasteners are stainless steel, ensuring structural integrity through freeze-thaw cycles and prolonged outdoor exposure.

Boutique & Conservation Values

• Serious Colony Capacity: Twelve rooms across three floors supports a meaningful breeding population — the step up from entry-level martin housing for the landlord committed to a long-term colony program.
• Lightweight Pole-Mount Design: Despite its 12-room capacity, the all-aluminum construction keeps the assembled house manageable for solo raising and lowering — essential during nest checks, weather events, and seasonal transitions.
• Four-Decade Pedigree: The Coates Original wasn't designed by committee — it was designed by a martin landlord, refined through real-world colony management, and has remained the industry benchmark for over 40 years.
• Heritage Manufacturing: Proudly Made in the USA.

Specifications

• Assembled Dimensions: 14" L x 19" W x 20" H
• Floors: 3
• Room Count: 12
• Room Dimensions: 6" L x 6" W x 5.125" H per room
• Entrance Hole Type: Round
• Material: Aluminum, Stainless Steel
• Mount Type: Pole (pole sold separately)
• Estimated Shipping Weight: 10 lbs.
• Country of Origin: Proudly Made in the USA
• ⚠️ Assembly Required