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Dr. Sarah Rockwell (Klamath Bird Observatory) will present at the Yachats Academy of Arts and Science on a Western Purple Martin study initiated and co-led by DeAnna Williams (USFS – Siuslaw), and completed with a research team including Dr. Joan Hagar (retired USGS – Corvallis) and Joe Metzler (Cape Arago Audubon Society).
The unique western subspecies of Purple Martin is of conservation concern, with the Pacific Northwest population estimated at just 3,500 pairs. Relatively little is known about the Western Purple Martin compared to the more abundant eastern subspecies. One of the biggest challenges in identifying ways to help migratory birds is that we simply don’t know where they are for most of the year.
Purple Martins are only here from about April to August, and until recently we only had the slightest idea of where they spend the non-
breeding months. From 2020-2022, our research team captured adult Western Purple Martins nesting in coastal Oregon and outfitted them with lightweight GPS tags to track their movements. Our goal is to track the martins to discover their migratory pathways and winter roost locations, and work with international partners to assess whether conservation actions are needed at these non-breeding sites.
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