Date: 7/1/25 9:44 am From: stan Kostka lynn Schmidt via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Counting Purple Martins
Hello Tweets, hope everyone is enjoying the weather .
There is currently an effort underway to organize and conduct a search, survey, and count of the number of breeding pairs of Purple Martins in Washington State. If you are interested in being involved, please let me know. If you know anyone you think may be interested, please let them know.
Martin abundance in any region, is generally (always) defined by the known number of breeding pairs, also known as active nests. British Columbia, Oregon, and California have already done this to some extent, but it’s never been done in Washington. There have been estimates in the past, but the fact is that currently nobody really knows.
The earliest nesting Purple Martins in Washington State are now tending to young that are about one week old. Soon, in another couple weeks or so, will be the best time to observe the height of activity at a martin colony, when adults will be busy feeding rapidly growing young, many of which by then will be making an appearance being fed at the nest cavity entrance.
Counting breeding pairs involves identifying active nests. Some people will be looking into nest cavities to confirm the presence of eggs or young. However, at most sites, nests will not be accessible, so counting will be done by observing and recording bird behaviours. Birds entering nest holes in July and August, especially when carrying food, and removing fecal sacs, are how we determine an active nest without looking inside. Later when young appear at the entrance, that observation alone confirms an active nest. Later in the season after young are fledging, they are often visible returning to their natal cavities at dusk, for a week or more before they begin migration.
Covering all of Western Washington over the next couple seasons is going to be a big project, and so the more eyes in the field the better. So, if you are interested in looking for and counting Purple Martins anywhere in Western Washington, please let me know.
