MONETA, Va. (WFXR) — They are one of the most uniquely-named birds and they are summertime visitors to Virginia. We are talking about Purple Martins. They are a migratory bird that spends winters in South America and summers in North America where they lay eggs and fledge their young. They eat insects.
“They’re a type of swallow,” said Smith Mountain Lake State Park Interpreter Jeanette Lawler. “Our Purple Martin colony has been here since about 2012, I believe. We have Purple Martins that come up here every summer to breed”
There is a Purple Martin colony established at Smith Mountain Lake State Park. A group called, the Purple Martin Conservation Association promotes establishing colonies to help sustain the birds. You can find information on how to start a Purple Martin colony here.
“The only place they can survive are in homes or houses provided by humans,” said Bill Pecoraro of the Purple Martin Conservation Society as he gestured toward one of the gourd-shaped Martin houses used to establish colonies. “They can not reproduce in nature any longer because of the starling and the English Sparrow, and the destruction of their habitat by humans.”
Despite their name, Purple Martins aren’t actually purple. However, when light hits their feathers they reflect a violet tinge giving them a purple appearance.
