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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The purple martin is one of this country's |
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best-loved songbirds, and the city of Grand Prairie has become a |
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leading center for purple martin conservation in the Lone Star |
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State; and |
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WHEREAS, Members of the swallow family, purple martins are |
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admired for their iridescent blue-black coloring, their pleasant |
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song, and their graceful aerial acrobatics; they feed on insects, |
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catching all of their food in flight, and drink by skimming the |
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surface of a pond and scooping up water with their lower bills; and |
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WHEREAS, Purple martins fly north in the spring to breed in |
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Mexico, the United States, and Canada; after their young are |
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hatched and able to fly, a process that takes approximately 70 days, |
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the birds migrate south again to their winter range in the lowlands |
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east of the Andes Mountains; and |
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WHEREAS, In the western part of North America, purple martins |
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still nest in natural cavities in trees and cliff faces, but east of |
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the Rocky Mountains, for more than a century now, the bird has |
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nested almost exclusively in artificial housing supplied by humans; |
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today, it is estimated that more than a million "landlords" put up |
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housing for purple martins, who typically return to their last |
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successful homesite; and |
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WHEREAS, Since the founding of the Purple Martin Landlords of |
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North Texas in 1999, the group's members have supported research |
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concerning these birds and have worked to educate area citizens |
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about their needs; based in Grand Prairie, the club has further |
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promoted the construction of purple martin housing in various |
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public locations around the city, including at schools, libraries, |
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the municipal golf course, the Kirby Creek Natural Science |
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Education Center, and Loyd Park on Joe Pool Lake; and |
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WHEREAS, Each year, the mayor and city council of Grand |
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Prairie proclaim Purple Martin Day to raise public awareness and |
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encourage support for the perpetuation of the species; and |
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WHEREAS, Grand Prairie residents have demonstrated a special |
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affinity for purple martins and devoted considerable time and |
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resources to help them flourish; thanks to the keen interest and |
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energetic efforts of these citizens, springtime in the city now |
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heralds the return of large numbers of this shimmering bird, whose |
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distinctive song and aerial displays have become a source of |
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immense delight to countless observers; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Grand Prairie as the official Purple Martin |
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Conservation Capital of Texas. |