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When I first moved to Renfrew County back in the late 1970s, there were many Purple Martin colonies in the area, the largest being on Mountainview Road. However, since then, the Martin population has seriously declined, and I am not aware of any existing colonies now in our area. In fact, it is almost a bird watching highlight to spot a Martin in the County.
There are many factors for this decline, but the primary ones are the loss of summer habitat in South America and the fierce competition from House Sparrows and Starlings for nesting sites.
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