GDA Certified restaurant and brewery Urban Chestnut in the Grove is teaming up with Gateway Greening‘s Pints ‘n’ Plants series for a talk by John Miller, an expert in purple martins. Purple Martins are a native species that require a little help from human hands in order to breed.
Purple martins need a cavity in order to nest – they once made their homes in the holes in trees created by woodpeckers, but competition with more aggressive species, like starlings, have created a housing problem for the iridescent birds.
Fortunately for the martins, they are one of a lucky group of species that has benefited from human interaction – humans and purple martins have enjoyed each other’s company for hundreds of years. The beautiful, burliest member of the swallow family are a treat to watch in flight – they feed mid-air on the most obnoxious insects, insects and flies.
Learn more about the purple martin and how you can help improve their numbers in Saint Louis by joining fellow bird and booze enthusiasts at Urban Chestnut in the Grove on January 20th from 6:30-7:30 pm.
