Purple Martin (PUMA)

Purple Martins are one of the most beloved birds in our area. A lake in our state is a major nesting and congregation site for them and other swallows during the summer, and many people purchase special goard-shaped nests to house them. As a result of this, we get a pretty decent amount of them in each year. PUMAs are the largest swallow in the world, and they have an appetite to match. They're pure insectivores and have the typical swallow muppet mouth, so it's quite enjoyable to shovel mealworms into their faces. PUMAs that don't beg can be quite difficult because of this, as their beaks are a bit fragile and they need a LOT of food. They're time consuming to take care of because of this, but they're at least polite about it. They wait patiently to be fed, and make little beeping noises. Very sweet.