Purple Martins, Bluebirds, Swifts, Swallows…
…and others.
Here, the Purple Martin house at Minneiska Park.
Purple Martin House Dedication
The public is invited to attend the dedication of a new Purple Martin House in Starin Park on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 2pm. This is the third city-owned Martin house in Whitewater. The other two houses are located near Tripp Lake – one on the Tripp Lake walking trail and the other at the Clay Street Nature Preserve. The Martins invite you to attend their Open House starting mid-April until they fly back to the Amazon.
Why is Whitewater a Bird City?
Whitewater must meet established criteria to be designated a Bird City. To qualify, the Urban Forestry Commission does the following:participates in activities on Migratory Bird Day.
sells native trees on Arbor Day weekend at Starin Park.
tables at the City Market.
maintains a Bird City and Tree City website.
Purple Martin Houses
There are three city owned Purple Martin Houses in Whitewater. They are located at Starin Park, Clay Street Nature Preserve, and on the Tripp Lake walking trail. All have successfully fledged Martins. Each house has a volunteer landlord to monitor the laying, hatching, and fledging of these acrobats of the sky.
Bluebird Trail
There are four Blue Bird houses on the walking trail in Minneiska Park.
Chimney Swift Tower
The Chimney Swift Tower in located in the Cravath Lakefront Park.
Tree Swallow Trail
Tree Swallows use houses located on the Tripp Lake Walking Trail.
2022 Purple Martin Season Update
Because trees and birds are intertwined in nature, one wing (pun intended) of the Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission is Bird City. 2022 marks the third season Whitewater has successfully fledged Purple Martins at two Martin houses which are located at Mineiska Park and Clay Street Nature Preserve. To complement newly planted trees at Arboretum at Starin Park, a third Martin house is now erected in the park near the Senior Center and ready for occupancy next year. Martins are not bothered by the proximity of humans, so everyone is welcome to observe their acrobatic flights as they catch insects to feed their chicks.
To be designated a Bird City, Whitewater has a volunteer landlord for each of the houses. They keep out invasive birds, check on the welfare of the eggs and chicks, and send a report to the National Purple Martin Association at the end of fledging season.
Because Martins rely entirely on man-made structures for raising their chicks and lay only one clutch of eggs in the northern hemisphere prior to migrating to the Amazon, their success is heavily dependent on human support. Therefore, to build the population of these beautiful birds, citizens are encouraged to donate to the Urban Forestry Commission to locate more houses in Whitewater.
The Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) supports healthy bird populations all across town, including a structure for Chimney Swifts at Cravath Lake Park and a trail of houses occupied by Tree Swallows on the Tripp Lake walking trail. Many of these birds are synanthropic!
We would love photos of Purple Martins in and around Whitewater. If you have any you would be willing to share, please email jpeg files to Starin Ent.
Chimney Swift Update
Chimney Swifts, like Purple Martins, find Whitewater a good place to live.
These fascinating birds spend almost their entire life airborne. When they land, they can’t perch—instead they cling to vertical walls.
Swifts are aerial acrobats and skilled insect hunters, consuming thousands every day. With their original habitat of caves and hollow trees diminishing, chimney swifts have come to depend on manmade structures, such as chimneys, for places to roost and nest.
Two places in Whitewater favored by Chimney Swifts are the Chimney Swift tower erected by the Whitewater Urban Forestry Commission at Cravath Lakefront Park and the big old chimney near the Whitewater Middle School.
Evenings are good times to observe the birds as they maneuver above the structures and drop down and disappear inside to roost. Chimney Swifts, Like Purple Martins arrive in Whitewater in April or May and head south in September .
For years, Chimney Swifts have successfully fledged (raised young) in the tower and the old chimney.
In addition to habitat loss, Chimney Swifts and Purple Martins are facing population declines due to pesticides, climate change, and competition with other invasive non-native birds (house sparrows and starlings). According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the swift population has declined 72% in the last 50 years.
Fortunately, Whitewater is “for the birds.” As a “Bird City” Whitewater works to help birds like Chimney Swifts thrive. If you are interested, please contact us.
