Will Purple Martins continue to be problematic for Nashville?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Purple Martins have returned and Metro Nashville wants them gone

The Purple Martin is the largest bird swallow in North America, and the eastern U.S., according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.

These birds have been using the Schermerhorn Symphony in Downtown Nashville as a roosting site since 2020. In the process, they proved to be very costly for the symphony, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Birds roost after breeding. It is a place to sleep, rest, and feed their young.

In 2022, the Symphony cut down 31 trees that the Purple Martins were using as their roost site. The remaining 10 trees are Elm trees and are Metro-owned. These trees will be removed and replaced.

The birds have already been sighted in Nashville and will likely increase in number as spring rolls on.

The city and the symphony hope that removing the trees and replacing them with a different species will keep them from roosting downtown.