WHAT ARE PURPLE MARTINS?
Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family in North America, measuring approximately 7 ½ inches long and weighing approximately 1.9 ounces. They find safety in numbers and often communicate with one another through various calls, chirps and other vocalizations.
WHAT IS A PURPLE MARTIN ROOST?
Purple Martins (Progne subis) are highly social birds. After leaving their nesting colony, which can be many states away, they form communal gatherings, more specifically described as “roosts,” where they sleep at night during their migration to South America. Once established, these roosts are often reused for many years at a time.
Most common roosts are near large, remote bodies of water. Scores of these roosts are thought to exist in the eastern half of North America, but very few, if any, are found in urban areas. Many roosts, including the one at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market, are large enough to be detected by Doppler radar!
DID YOU KNOW?
• The Purple Martin gets its food and water in flight. It captures insects in the air and skims the surface of water using its lower bill as a scoop.
• Purple Martins east of the Rockies are considered semidomesticated and depend solely on humans to supply their housing and a safe atmosphere in which to raise their young.
• The worst enemies of the Purple Martin are two very common birds, the House Sparrow and European Starling, which can destroy their nests and young.
• Native Americans, long before Europeans arrived on this continent, used dried gourds to attract and house Purple Martins.
• Go to the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) web site for additional information.
