Published: May 02, 2008 07:24 pm         

Purple martin majesty

Association says Webb City man one of Missouri’s most knowledgeable bird hobbyists

WEBB CITY, Mo. — Darryl Sparlin has a hobby that is for the birds — literally.

Each spring for the past 14 years, he has prepared for the arrival of his feathery friends who have traveled thousands of miles to find a nesting site in his front yard.

“I had 80 pair last year. That would be what you call a super colony,” Sparlin said. “I think that number will increase by 15 pair this year.”

He has so many birds now that people stop and park in his rural Webb City driveway to watch them, especially at dusk.

“About 30 minutes before dark is when they come home from wherever they have been hunting for flying insects. The sky is just full of them,” he said. “People pull in my driveway and watch them. They ask if it’s OK to sit and watch them, and I say sure. They are a pleasure to listen to, too.”

Purple martins are Sparlin’s favorite pastime. The Purple Martin Conservation Association says Sparlin is one of the most knowledgeable purple martin hobbyists in Missouri. He follows all of the recommended techniques for management of the federally protected species.

He closely monitors his colony to track fledgling success. He controls non-native birds, such as house sparrows and European starlings, that threaten to displace breeding martins. He also has predator guards on his poles to keep rat snakes and owls out of the nests.

Sparlin participates in Project MartinWatch in which data is sent to the association of the number of martins fledged each season. This requires him to conduct weekly “nest checks,” in which he lowers the housing to count nests, eggs and project hatching dates. Because of his efforts and those of other purple martin hobbyists, the population of purple martins in Missouri has remained stable while other migratory bird populations have fallen because of loss of habitat.

Purple martins, the largest of the swallows in North America, are totally dependent on man-made housing. They faithfully return to the same locations each year from their wintering grounds in South America.

The migration begins with a few “scouts” in late February and early March. These are senior martins. They will be followed in a few weeks by 2-year-old adults and then “sub-adults” a few weeks after that. After spending the summer at Sparlin’s residence, they begin the return migration in early August.

Sparlin offers the housing that is preferred for purple martins.

“I grow natural gourds in my garden. I cut out cavities for them and put a special lid on the side so that I can look inside and count the number of eggs,” he said. “The Indians used to hang them years back. The birds actually prefer a gourd to man-made housing because there’s so much room in them.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into it, but it’s enjoyable. If you successfully raise young, they will be back to your place next year and nest in the same cavity as the year before. The nest has to face the same direction, like it was the year before. They expect it to be there just the way they left it when they come back.”

Sparlin has a 24-room castle, two 12-room houses, and 46 gourds for the birds. He preserves the gourds in copper sulfate, and then applies two coats of white paint. The white holds down the heat inside the housing.

Martins eat wasps, grasshoppers, flies and mosquitoes. They can eat up to 400 flies in a single day.

Sparlin, age 51, says he will be a purple martin fancier for as long as he is able to manage his bird houses.

“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” he said. “And, I provide a house to a bird that likes to be close to humans because they are protected.”



Wally Kennedy writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe.



Bird survey

As a species, purple martins are relatively common throughout Missouri, with the greatest numbers found in the southern half of the state, according to North American Breeding Bird survey. Breeding data, maintained since 1966, shows that purple martin populations overall are holding steady in North America. Purple martins are declining in two border states — Illinois and Iowa — but appear to be stable in Missouri.

Want to know more about purple martins? Check out www.purplemartin.org.