For sure, one of the most beautiful birds we’ve got flying around during the springtime here in NC is the Purple Martin.
Now that the breeding season is underway, they are a familiar sight flying over the open fields in search of a meal.
I found this small flock while leading a birding photography class at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh yesterday morning.

Purple Martins are one of the easiest species of Swallow to ID. At 8.7 in long from beak tail with a wingspan of up to 15in, they are the largest species of swallow in the US.
Their glossy black feathers have a violet iridescent color quality which caused by the refraction of incident light. This gives them a bright blue or deep purple appearance depending on the angle and quality of the sunlight reflecting off of their plumage.

Purple Martins are colony cavity nesters but because they are unable to excavate their own nesting holes, these birds rely almost completely on man-made housing for nesting and reproduction.
For this reason, providing specialized nesting boxes (gourd shaped) for these birds is very important the growth of the species.

To entice flocks of Purple Martins to nest on your own property, their houses should be placed in the most open areas of your yard.
It’s best to set up the bird houses away from trees too as this allows the birds plenty of room to swoop and dive after insects without obstruction.
As new generations of Martins are raised, the growing flock will return to your backyard nesting setup year after year.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the full frame beast of an SLR, the mighty @canonusa
#5Ds