Purple Martins return to High Park

[attach]1775[/attach]High Park has once again become home to North America’s largest swallow, the Purple Martin, which has returned to the area after an eight-year absence.

These aerial acrobats are known for their agile ability to catch flying insects.

“It’s a very striking bird to see,” said Karen Yukich, co-chair of the High Park Natural Environment Committee. “The male is purple-coloured, which flashes in the light when you see it. It’s quite beautiful.”

Two pairs of Purple Martins are now living in a new nesting box on the south side of Grenadier Pond.

The Purple Martin population has been in decline in southern Ontario for the last 20 years. It used to breed at Grenadier Pond where there was an abundant supply of flying insects.

But a cold snap in 2002 decimated their food supply, leading Purple Martins to starve to death.

Yukich said there’s not much people can do to prevent Purple Martins from dying when the weather suddenly dips.

“One relatively simple thing that we felt we could do was get this nest box up,” she said. “That’s obviously paid off.”

The original nesting house was built on the east shore of the pond in 1960s but it became overgrown with trees and was overtaken by house sparrows.

“(Purple Martins) need a large open are for their nest,” Yukich said. “They feel comfortable in an open area.”

She said the new house is functioning well as a nesting ground.

The wooden birdhouse was designed with a small rod partially obscuring each entrance, as a way deter other bird species from nesting there, Yukich said.

“It’s like a little apartment with six holes on one side and six on the other side,” she said.

The Purple Martin is a social bird, meaning they nest in colonies. The hope is that the two pairs of Purple Martins will breed and return with their offspring.

“The great thing is that we know they are aware of (the nesting house). Hopefully these ones will keep coming and others will come,” Yukich said.