Happy (almost) World Migratory Bird Day! We wanted to feature a special bird for this episode of #BirdOfTheWeek, the purple martin. This video was taken at CLT’S Twin Rivers Ranch Preserve on Oakland Bay in Shelton, WA by photographer Mike Melton. This preserve conserves 133 acres of wetland, riparian, forest, and marine shoreline habitat. Six purple martin boxes were replaced over the winter along the shoreline.
Purple martins are migratory birds. They arrive to the Puget Sound area in mid-April after traveling all the way from South America to breed. Puget Sound is one of the only places to view these special birds in all of Washington! Males can be identified by their gorgeous glossy-blue/purple coat and females by their duller gray coat. They are our largest swallow!
Insects are incredibly important to this bird, making up their entire diet. Purple martins get both their food and water while flying.
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The spring season inspired us to create fun short clips featuring western Washington birds and their songs and calls. Be on the lookout every Friday on our social media accounts and YouTube for the latest Bird of the Week. We hope you enjoy learning about the amazing diversity of feathered friends benefitting from local land conservation!
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