Downtown Tulsa A Purple Martin Paradise

By Chris Howell, NewsOn6.com Video Journalist

TULSA, Okla. -- For the last few years, thousands of Purple Martins have been roosting in the trees by the Convention Center in downtown Tulsa.

Dick Sherry of the Tulsa Audubon Society and other birdwatchers are delighted to see them arrive each evening during the summer.

"They are very interesting birds. They are a member of the swallow family. They are the largest swallow," explained Dick Sherry.

The trees are first filled with starlings, a natural enemy of the martins during the day. But as night falls, the birds will all share the roost for the night. At dawn, they'll pour out in the morning sky to feed once again.

"They will probably go up and down the river into all the reservoirs around in the area, and they will just feed all day long on the wing," said Sherry.

It is a natural wonder not to be missed with showing nightly through the summer.

Learn more by watching Chris Howell's video report. Just click on the video link.