In fact, purple martins today depend on handmade houses and gourds for their dwellings. Regardless of their pest control value, they are fascinating to watch. The male is completely black, with a glossy sheen. The female has a dull finish and light underside. They're equally popular in other states.
Signs now prohibit boating around the eastern half of the island during summer.
As for Russell, his many hours of roughing it on Bundrick Island have resulted in recognition far beyond his university science program. So the study has yielded a lot of previously unknown technical information about purple martins, as well as providing information to residents of the midlands about this unique wildlife resource. Smaller martin staging areas are far better known nationally, Krantz observed, because they're easy for the public to reach. This one is on an island that you can only get to with a 20-minute boat ride. If it were something people could access by car or on foot, I think it would be receiving a lot more attention.