As you walk down the trail toward the shore of Lake Erie, you hear the sounds long before you see the birds.
Hundreds of birds.
Perched in a dead tree, the purple iridescence of Purple Martins can be hard to see in the bright morning sunshine and deep blue sky.
About Purple Martins
The largest swallows in North America, you’ll find Purple Martins near martin houses people put up in their yards.
Or swooping high in the sky as they hunt insects.
While I knew Purple Martins get all their food as they fly, I didn’t realize that’s also how they get water: scooping water with its lower bill as they skim over the surface of a pond, marsh, or lake.
Known for their large communal roosts in mid- to late-summer, I’ve discovered several places in our area where flocks of Purple Martins gather before they begin their migration south.
While not listed in the map of Purple Martin roost sites, visiting southeast Michigan nature and conservancy preserves as well as popular birding sites are bound to turn up a roost site.
Did you know there’s an entire set of terminology related to Purple Martins?
The Purple Martin is an aerial insectivore: an animal that feeds on insects caught while it and the insects are in flight.
Have you put up a martin house in your yard? Or do you see Purple Martins in your area?
