Editor's note: This is an occasional series from the Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge. Landlords, it's time to get the houses ready for the purple martins making their way here.

GRAND HAVEN — The last pair of purple martins nesting in the gourds at Grand Haven State Park may have a tough time getting their young ready in time for the flight south to the Amazon rainforest.

My old aluminum purple martin house has supported generations of purple martin families — but not in the last few years. I’m not sure why the old house lost its appeal to the birds. The house was ...

Wonder why your neighbor is hanging gourds up? Or why there appears to be an undulating donut on the weather radar? The answer to both is the purple martin. The largest swallow in North America, male ...

Photo courtesy of Shawn Wyble The welcoming sign at the entrance to the Millers' farm. Photo courtesy of Shawn Wyble Now that's what I call a bird-friendly neighborhood! Mr. Miller's farm boasts over ...

Inside an artificial gourd hanging from an aluminum rack, a female purple martin sits on her eggs while her mate perches in the doorway to their human-made home in Erie. Meanwhile, 35 people watch.

Every year, Jeff Robinson eagerly awaits the arrival of purple martins to his Rogersville backyard. He's set up a virtual purple martin condo, with martin houses and gourds providing Missouri's ...

The other day I was working with my purple martin colony. I have 16 gourd nesting boxes, which house 16 families, and at this time of year the babies are fledging (leaving the nest for the first time) ...

Every year, bird enthusiasts hang groups of plastic gourds for purple martins to nest in Erica Royer Look up during the summer in eastern or southeastern North America, and you may spot a purple ...