February is the month when one of North America’s favorite birds begins to return after spending the winter in South America.
This is the purple martin, the largest of our swallows at about eight inches. It is definitely the bird more people try to attract than any other.
People like purple martins because they are amazing acrobats and also maintain a cheerful chatter. Plus, and this is a big plus, they eat lots of insects, including wasps, beetles, flies and bugs. Many of these are caught on the wing as the martins fly in sweeping circles, alternating rapid flapping with short glides.
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