Through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Game Commission, Whitpain’s Bird Town Committee will be able to install a Purple Martin Tower at Prophecy Creek Park this fall. The 12′ tower will offer the birds a place to nest in gourd-shaped birdhouses.

Purple Martins, the largest swallow species in North America, migrate to Pennsylvania in the summer and nest mostly in man-made structures. The bird has long been recognized for its ability to consume a large number of insects, and dating back to pre-Colonial America, humans have installed gourd-shaped nests to attract the birds to their property.

The species lives in colonies and, as adults, will return to the same nest each summer. During the winter, the birds migrate mainly to Brazil and Bolivia.

Photo – BirdImages from Getty Images Signature via Canva