By: Harper-Brown (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.C.R. No. 54
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2013;
May 2, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on
Administration; May 8, 2013, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 8, 2013, sent to printer.)
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The purple martin is one of this country's
best-loved songbirds, and the city of Grand Prairie has become a
leading center for purple martin conservation in the Lone Star
State; and
WHEREAS, Members of the swallow family, purple martins are
admired for their iridescent blue-black coloring, their pleasant
song, and their graceful aerial acrobatics; they feed on insects,
catching all of their food in flight, and drink by skimming the
surface of a pond and scooping up water with their lower bills; and
WHEREAS, Purple martins fly north in the spring to breed in
Mexico, the United States, and Canada; after their young are
hatched and able to fly, a process that takes approximately 70 days,
the birds migrate south again to their winter range in the lowlands
east of the Andes Mountains; and
WHEREAS, In the western part of North America, purple martins
still nest in natural cavities in trees and cliff faces, but east of
the Rocky Mountains, for more than a century now, the bird has
nested almost exclusively in artificial housing supplied by humans;
today, it is estimated that more than a million "landlords" put up
housing for purple martins, who typically return to their last
successful homesite; and
WHEREAS, Since the founding of the Purple Martin Landlords of
North Texas in 1999, the group's members have supported research
concerning these birds and have worked to educate area citizens
about their needs; based in Grand Prairie, the club has further
promoted the construction of purple martin housing in various
public locations around the city, including at schools, libraries,
the municipal golf course, the Kirby Creek Natural Science
Education Center, and Loyd Park on Joe Pool Lake; and
WHEREAS, Each year, the mayor and city council of Grand
Prairie proclaim Purple Martin Day to raise public awareness and
encourage support for the perpetuation of the species; and
WHEREAS, Grand Prairie residents have demonstrated a special
affinity for purple martins and devoted considerable time and
resources to help them flourish; thanks to the keen interest and
energetic efforts of these citizens, springtime in the city now
heralds the return of large numbers of this shimmering bird, whose
distinctive song and aerial displays have become a source of
immense delight to countless observers; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate Grand Prairie as the official Purple Martin
Conservation Capital of Texas.
* * * * *