TITLE: Designating Grand Prairie as the Purple Martin Conservation Capital of Texas.

SUMMARY: Designating Grand Prairie as the Purple Martin Conservation Capital of Texas.

FULL TEXT:
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. Harper-Brown President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 54 was adopted by the House on April 25, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 54 was adopted by the Senate on May 5, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor