Have you ever seen a purple martin or heard their chattering song? There is a good chance that you have, even if you didn’t know it at the time. Purple martins are North America’s largest swallow. They breed across much of the United States and then migrate southward to winter in Brazil. As of spring 2020, UCF has become a hotspot for seeing purple martins in action! With the help of enthusiastic UCF students, Dr. Anna Forsman of UCF Biology, has established the UCF Purple Martin Project, which supplies over 140 nesting gourds for these fascinating birds. During this Bio Chat, Dr. Forsman will talk about the history of the special relationship that purple martins have developed with humans in North America and how scientists and citizens continue to interact with these birds to promote their conservation and greater understanding of their biology and ecology. Dr. Forsman will also talk about how her lab is using genomic techniques (and bird poop) to figure out what types of insects the martins are eating and to characterize the microbial communities living in the guts of these swallows. Join us for Purple Martin Time!
RSVP today for the FREE event!
Read More