Purple Martin Conservation Initiative

Purple Martin Conservation Initiative The Purple Martin Conservation Initiative is dedicated to helping Purple Martins thrive.

Patience pays off!The first year at Brusly High School was quiet, but this second season brought an exciting milestone —...
06/02/2026

Patience pays off!

The first year at Brusly High School was quiet, but this second season brought an exciting milestone — two Purple Martin pairs have successfully nested on campus! Watching these tiny nestlings grow is a reminder that conservation takes time, consistency, and hope.

We’re excited to see Brusly High School officially on the map as a Purple Martin conservation site and can’t wait to see what future seasons bring!

First year success at Lowery Middle School!This brand-new Purple Martin site in Donaldsonville, Louisiana is already sho...
06/01/2026

First year success at Lowery Middle School!

This brand-new Purple Martin site in Donaldsonville, Louisiana is already showing encouraging signs with at least one active nest with growing chicks — and a possible second nest still containing an egg.

Seeing martins choose a new colony site in its very first year is exciting and a testament to the students, staff, and supporters helping make conservation happen. We can’t wait to watch this colony continue to grow in the years ahead!

📍Lowery Middle School – Donaldsonville, LA
📅 May 29, 2026

Did you know not all adult Purple Martins look the same? Purple Martins go through what’s called delayed plumage maturat...
05/29/2026

Did you know not all adult Purple Martins look the same? Purple Martins go through what’s called delayed plumage maturation, meaning they don’t instantly develop their full adult coloring after their first year. It can take up to two years for both males and females to acquire their complete adult plumage.

These photos highlight adult male Purple Martins in different stages of plumage development — from males still showing some immature characteristics to those with the glossy dark purple-black coloration many people recognize. Nature always gives us something new to learn when we take a closer look!

As the season progresses, nest checks become a little more challenging! Older chicks are strong, active, and getting ver...
05/27/2026

As the season progresses, nest checks become a little more challenging! Older chicks are strong, active, and getting very close to fledging — which means extra care is needed during monitoring.

One important trick we use is plugging the entrance holes before lowering the housing. Each plug has a long string attached so after the nest checks are complete and the housing is raised back up, the plugs can safely be pulled out from the ground. This helps prevent older chicks from prematurely fledging during monitoring and keeps everyone safe.

A little extra work goes a long way during fledging season!

05/26/2026

Back from vacation and of course our first stop was the Purple Martin colony 💜
Happy to report…all is well! Nestlings are growing, parents are busy, and the colony is thriving. There’s nothing better than coming home to happy martins.
PARDS

💜
05/20/2026

💜

Taking a short break after a busy Purple Martin season — and celebrating our daughter’s graduation! 🎓Thank you all for t...
05/19/2026

Taking a short break after a busy Purple Martin season — and celebrating our daughter’s graduation! 🎓

Thank you all for the support this season. We’ll be back next week refreshed and ready for more martin adventures. ☀️

It was a wonderful Saturday at North Park for our annual Purple Martin Field Research Day! This year we documented:• 86 ...
05/19/2026

It was a wonderful Saturday at North Park for our annual Purple Martin Field Research Day!

This year we documented:
• 86 active nests
• 106 eggs
• 249 chicks

We also recovered one geolocator from last year’s deployment and successfully deployed two more as part of our ongoing migration research. A huge thank you to Dr. Erik Johnson and all of the volunteers who help make this work possible each year!

All bird banding and geolocator work was conducted under the supervision of licensed bird ba**er Dr. Erik Johnson.

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Denham Springs, LA
70726

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