83R5430 JGH-D
 
  By: Harper-Brown H.C.R. No. 54
 
 
 
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.