Purple Martins, Progne subis: A British Columbian success story

The limited historical data appear to indicate that in the late 1800s and e arly 1900s, Purple Martin populations were limited to southern Vancouver Is land from north of Campbell River south to, and including, Victoria as well as the western Fraser valley on the mainland. With the arrival of the Hous e Sparrow, Parser domesticus. martin numbers appeared to suffer a decline. By the late 1940s there were only a few scattered colonies that persisted. Habitat loss (dead snag and piling removal) began to play a major role, and this, combined with an increase in the European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris , population, resulted in a further population decline. By 1983, known mart in nests in British Columbia were fewer than six. In 1985 concerned individ uals began installing nest boxes. Just over a decade later the Purple Marti n population in British Columbia has grown to 146 pairs recorded in 1998.