Connecticut Purple Martin Newsletter Winter 2014, Issue 2 Now that our purple summer visitors are taking New Colonies their winter break in warmer climates, it seemed an We also had some new colonies started this year. appropriate time for the next edition of the Most notably is the highly successful colony located Connecticut Purple Martin Newsletter. Thank you at Sherwood Island State Park. In just its first year to everyone for a great field season in 2014. It was of existence, the site has already produced over 100 a very successful year filled with several new juveniles! The location was selected because of its records and some promising new beginnings. The proximity to the former colony managed by Phil word is out about this project thanks in large part to Donahue. The hope was that the returning adults recent media coverage (see the section on Martins would accept this site as a substitute. The plan in the Media). The interest generated through this worked perfectly. Several of the adult birds had work will ensure that we continue heading down bands revealing that they did indeed come from the right path towards long-term purple martin Phil’s colony. conservation in Connecticut. 2014 Banding Recap We set some records with total numbers of colonies visited (20) and chicks banded (1,192). The number average number of chicks banded per site (60) was also the highest it has ever been. Part of this can be explained by the high productivity observed around the state. There were sites that had five, six, and even seven chicks per nest! Unfortunately when martins are trying to raise that many young there is a small margin for error with regard to outside stressors. And as a result, there were also a record number of deceased chicks reported this year. The causes of mortality varied from site to site but many appeared to have succumbed to starvation because either they could not compete with their nest mates Staff and volunteers banded over 100 chicks at Sherwood Island State Park or they were orphaned when the parents were in July 2014. The banding event attracted a large crowd of reporters and predated. Another source of mortality for the onlookers. Photo by Laurie Doss. chicks was direct predation from raptors, crows, and Hoping to build upon their first year success, The raccoons. However, despite the losses, the total Friends of Sherwood Island plan to install more number of chicks fledged in Connecticut was housing to augment the two gourd trees donated by impressive. Connecticut Audubon. With a strong network of volunteers and an excellent location, this colony is Another record set was the number of banded birds poised to be a stable, source population for many (42) reported in 2014 bringing the total number of years to come. reports up to 86. Once again sightings came from all over Connecticut as well as from neighboring Increasing Inland Population states. Interestingly, at least one adult banded bird For years the purple martin population around Kent, was observed at every colony we visited this year, Connecticut, has been benefiting from the tireless even at sites where banding had never occurred efforts of Laurie Doss, purple martin enthusiast and before! Hopefully the trend will continue in 2015. dedicated colony manager. She has actively sought to engage landowners and volunteers in martin dirty is a great way to reduce the parasite load and conservation. She has also secured sources of increase the survival of the chicks. Cedar shavings funding to purchase new martin housing to help get are a good choice because they offer some natural colonies started or to replace outdated and insect repellency. More information about damaged structures. As a master bander, Laurie has controlling nest parasites and a step by step guide been color banding her four (and growing) colonies on how to change nesting material can be found on as part of the statewide study. Through her efforts PMCA’s website. we can now determine that the purple martin population around Kent is increasing and expanding Martins in the Media to new locations. You can read about the banding event at Sherwood Island State Park by clicking on this link: The Hour Online. Also attached is an article that first appeared this summer in the Purple Martin Conservation Association’s newsletter. It outlines the work we have done here in Connecticut. Led by Laurie Doss (with clipboard) volunteers check the nest boxes at Lake Waramaug County Club on the Kent/Washington line. Through Laurie’s efforts the purple martin population has seen a steady growth in northwest Connecticut. Useful Tips/Hints One of the hot topics this year during the banding events was how to control for nest parasites (blowflies, feather mites, etc.) These parasites weaken the young chicks and if they are present in high enough numbers they can actually cause mortality. But how should you control them? Several of you asked about using Sevin dust or Front cover of The Purple Martin Update, Vol 23(3) Summer 2014, pgs 14-17. diatomaceous earth in the nests. Both of these products are not recommended by the Purple Connecticut Purple Martin Program: Martin Conservation Association due to concerns Geoffrey Krukar for the health of the chicks. However, many DEEP – Wildlife Division P.O. Box 1550 contributors to PMCA’s forum have stated that they Burlington, CT 06013 have used one or the other for years with no [email protected] 860-675-8130 apparent problems. What is agreed upon is that changing the nesting material when it is wet and/or A pair of martins, one wearing a federal band and two color bands, rest on their porch. A subadult male martin sings from a rooftop, showing off his Photos by Hans Flink red and orange color bands. PurplePurple MartinMartin ConservationConservation inin ConnecticutConnecticut Geoffrey Krukar, Avian Researcher Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection—Wildlife Division, Burlington, CT [email protected] n March 2008, John Tautin (former may be limiting martins in New well understood. A lack of knowledge Iexecutive director of PMCA) called England. As a result of this meeting, about dispersal patterns of young together representatives from each a long-term project was initiated birds and the optimal conditions for of the New England states to discuss in Connecticut by the Department establishing new colonies threatened Purple Martin conservation. At that of Energy and Environmental to hamper recovery efforts. The work meeting, John presented information Protection (DEEP) to address the in Connecticut these past five years regarding the current status of New England Purple Martin Working has been focused on closing this Purple Martins in New England Group’s objectives. It quickly became knowledge gap in our understanding and provided evidence that the apparent that in Connecticut, the of Purple Martins by (1) summarizing population was declining across the recovery of this species would not the current population status and region. To address this decline, a be as straightforward as one might available nesting structures for Purple New England Purple Martin Working expect given that martins only nest Martins in CT, (2) determining what Group was formed. This fledgling in structures provided by humans. criteria the birds are using when group outlined important objectives In theory, if additional housing was selecting nesting sites, (3) providing to further Purple Martin conservation provided, subadult martins should additional housing options for in New England. Those objectives find it, utilize it, and increase the the expansion of existing nesting included raising awareness and population. However, this was not the colonies, and (4) determining site expanding group representation, case. Many housing locations were fidelity and post-fledging dispersion surveying existing and historic available, including some adjacent of second year (SY) birds. colonies, improving management to active colonies, yet have remained at existing colonies, identifying unoccupied for years. The criteria Distribution funding sources for conservation these birds were using for selecting he first step was determining where actions, and identifying factors that nesting sites in Connecticut were not Tactive Purple Martin colonies still 14 Summer 2014 The Purple Martin Update A Purple Martin nest with newly-hatched young. One of Hans Flink’s martin houses in Guilford, CT—note the martin with color bands on bottom left porch. existed in Connecticut. The current Habitat Analysis coast actually require less open space distribution was determined by he next step was to determine than the inland colonies. The results assessing both newly-formed colonies Twhat conditions made some of this analysis were used to create and historic colonies. The DEEP’s sites successful while other sites that a predictive model of Purple Martin Natural Diversity Database (NDDB) superficially appeared appropriate habitat in Connecticut. The model was reviewed for historic records of remained unoccupied. To get at the is being used to help guide efforts to Purple Martin colonies. Any sites that answer, local habitat conditions establish new colonies in areas where had definitive locational information around both active colonies and success is most likely. associated with them were evaluated empty houses were assessed using and ground truthed to determine Geographic Information System (GIS) Boxes their current status. Site visits were software and site visits. The variables o test the validity of the habitat conducted for a minimum of 15 used in this analysis were selected Tmodel, martin boxes were erected minutes. Data collected were type because current recommendations by around two known Purple Martin of nesting structure, current usage, PMCA for attracting Purple Martins colonies in Kent, Connecticut, box location, and local habitat provide minimum distances and in areas identified by the model.