Michigan Audubon Seeks Purple Martins
by Chad Machinski, Conservation Manager, Michigan Audubon
Even with blowing winds and Michigan’s unpredictable swings from 60 degrees and sunny back to 30 and snow, migrating birds are already making their way back. One bird that’s at Michigan’s doorstep and familiar around our inland lakes is the Purple Martin. Purple Martins made landfall in the continental U.S. back in January, and the first individuals could arrive in Michigan within the next couple of weeks.
The Purple Martin is the largest swallow species in North America, and in the Eastern United States, they are wholly dependent on man-made housing to raise their young. Like other birds that are aerial insectivores, species that only eat insects while flying, Purple Martins have seen population declines over the past several decades – a 24% decrease in 55 years.
Michigan Audubon is working to better understand how Purple Martins are doing in Michigan in two ways, both of which rely on people who provide housing for them. First, Michigan Audubon wants Purple Martin Landlords to register their colonies with us at the beginning of each season so we know who is working to help this bird. Second, Michigan Audubon has recently begun to collect end-of-season nest summaries from Landlords who actively manage their colony by conducting regular nest checks during the breeding season. These summaries allow us to track nesting success over time.
Over the past two years, we have seen a decrease in the number of fledged birds per nesting colony; however, we know we need more data! If you host a Purple Martin colony, please consider registering it through the Michigan Audubon website. Registering will also allow you to receive a quarterly email with updates about Purple Martins in Michigan. With your help, we can support Purple Martins.