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Marking a sign of spring, the first purple martins of the year have been spotted in West Virginia, according to the Purple Martin Conservation Association.
The birds were seen March 21 in Eleanor by a purple martin enthusiast, Joe Siegrist, association president, said.
"The purple martins arrival in West Virginia show the birds are making steady progress northward since they first made landfall in Florida two days before Christmas," Siegrist said. "Tracking the migration is not only fun, it also provides us with valuable information that helps inform our research and strengthen our efforts to make sure we're doing everything possible to sustain the population of these amazing birds."
North America's largest species of swallow, purple martins winter in the rainforests of Brazil before making an up-to-7,000-mile migration north into the eastern United States and Canada.
The annual migration is a testament to the martins' resilience as well as the unwavering dedication of thousands of martin landlords who maintain multi-compartment nest condos that are essential for the birds' survival, Siegrist said. Once widespread in America, the species that eats billions of flying insects has been disappearing at an alarming rate, experiencing a loss of one-third of its population over the last 50 years, he said.
"The decline seems to be the combination of a few factors: nesting habitat loss, competing invasive species, decreasing prey availability, and climate change," Siegrist said. "Over the majority of the Purple Martins' range, they are unable to nest naturally any longer. Human-provided nest boxes are the only thing keeping the species alive east of the Rocky Mountains."
The survival of the species is due in large part to scores of dedicated conservationists who invest their time, money and hearts into maintaining housing for the martins, Siegrist said.
"The landlords provide critical shelter for the martins," Siegrist said. "In return, they are rewarded with a family-like bond with the birds who return to the same colony year after year like clockwork."
To follow along with the Purple Martins' migration and learn more about to conserve the bird, go to www.purplemartin.org. In addition, people interested in learning more about how to attract and care for purple martins can receive a free publication by contacting the Purple Martin Conservation Association, emailing info@purplemartin.org or calling 814-833-7656.
Based in Erie, Pa. the Purple Martin Conservation Association is an international tax-exempt, nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of the purple martin through scientific research, state of the art wildlife management techniques and public education.