Have you been enchanted by a beautiful melody while strolling through Moncus Park this spring? If so, you’re likely hearing the delightful songs of purple martins. This past winter, with the support of a habitat improvement grant from the Coypu Foundation, our staff installed two new Purple Martin colonies in the park. These new homes have been a resounding success, attracting many purple martins to nest here.

The purple martin, known for its playful nature and sweet songs, quickly took to the new accommodations. In an impressive show of approval, nearly all 24 of our housing gourds were occupied by new families in their first year! This overwhelming response has not only added a melodious backdrop to our park but has also positioned Moncus Park as a key host site in Louisiana for purple martin research and banding.

This initiative places us at the heart of an international effort to track the migration patterns and population dynamics of these special birds. By hosting these colonies, Moncus Park contributes valuable data that helps scientists understand and protect purple martins.

We invite you to visit Moncus Park to see these fascinating structures and learn more about how we’re supporting purple martin conservation.