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Purple Martins

Article Title
Purple Martins, Delta Journal, The Times-Picayune, May 27, 2007, C9

Delta Journal
by Bob Thomas

Purple martins are among our most beautiful and entertaining spring and summer birds. The scouts (first arrivals) arrive in late February to find their very same old nesting areas and to protect them from others. Nesting is well under way by late March.

The males are very dark iridescent blue-black, while the females are dark above with a light chest and underparts.