Tumamoc Talks

The Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill hosts a series of talks focused on topics that relate to the science, ecology, history, and culture of the Sonoran Desert. All talks are open to the public.

Wednesday, April 1st at 5:30pm

Desert Purple Martins - Star Birds of the Arizona Monsoon with Jennie MacFarland

The Desert Purple Martin (Progne subis hesperia) is a distinct subspecies that times its nesting to monsoon abundance and nests almost exclusively in saguaros or other large columnar cacti. Desert Purple Martins are extremely understudied with large gaps in knowledge about their nesting, migration, and wintering grounds. Very recent discoveries and data results will be shared along with lots of video and audio that showcases the charming and fascinating Desert Purple Martin. Jennie MacFarland is the Director of Bird Conservation at Tucson Bird Alliance. She co-coordinates the Arizona Bird Areas Program with Tice Supplee and also coordinates the Tucson Bird Count, a city-wide, urban spring bird count.

Location: The Tumamoc Hill Boathouse (base of the Hill)