Purple Martin diet and its effect on nestling development
Researcher(s)
- Claire Bernard
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Dr. Jeffrey Buler
Institute
University of Delaware
Abstract
Purple Martins (Progne subis) are obligate aerial insectivores, preying on flying insects in midair. During nesting season, parents will catch prey items to bring into the nest for their flightless chicks. In this project, we monitored Purple Martin nestlings by collecting fecal samples and measurements, spaced out evenly before they fledged. Purple Martin nests were sampled at colonies located in Bucktoe Creek Preserve, Curtis Mill Park, and Longwood Gardens. The predicted mass and tarsus length at Longwood Gardens were noticeably lower, however they were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Nestlings at Longwood weighed almost 50% less at their hatch date compared to their counterparts at Bucktoe and Curtis Mill. The average Longwood Gardens growth rates and overall colony success were not statistically different from the Bucktoe and Curtis Mill results, but we need to consider that this difference could be biologically significant. The taxons represented in each nest will be identified and analyzed by April 2024, where we will explore possible correlations with nestling growth and fledging rates between all three represented colonies.