Volunteer Spotlight – Travis Audubon Round Rock Purple Martin Roost

Every year in July and August, hundreds of thousands of purple martins gather together before their fall migration to roost in a local shopping center parking lot. Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers, the Austin area roost is recognized as one of the best monitored roosts in the country. Volunteers are particularly needed to help patrol the parking lot at dawn to collect data and assist downed birds. 

The location for this year’s roost is still to-be-determined, but it’s likely to be in Round Rock near the I35/45 interchange. The roost monitoring team, led by Susanne Harm (smharm@gmail.com), will coordinate dates and times for volunteers to make early morning visits in July and August. For more information, you can also contact our chapter member Sara Schubert.

Travis Audubon’s official Purple Martin Parties will be on Fridays and Saturdays from July 24 – August 8; volunteers can sign up here. Our chapter is planning our own evening to gather at the roost site and witness this spectacular event! Details will be provided in Slack and on the chapter calendar. 

Other volunteer opportunities with Travis Audubon include weekly workdays at Blair Woods Preserve in East Austin, monthly workdays at Baker Sanctuary in Leander, and monthly bird surveys at Hornsby Bend. See Travis Audubon’s event calendar for more information and to register.  https://travisaudubon.org/events-calendar