When you’re caught off guard by the unexpected, it can be a truly remarkable experience. Picture yourself strolling down a downtown Nashville sidewalk, admiring the transportainment vehicles and soaking in the music from the lively bars. Suddenly, you notice something peculiar. The sky is filled with birds.
Bird-watching isn’t what brought you to Nashville, it never even crossed your mind. Yet, the sheer number of birds in one place is astonishing. What makes it even more fascinating is the way they move. As evening approaches, they soar high above the skyscrapers, resembling a reverse constellation or a school of fish in flight. Their coordinated movements create an animated silhouette against the backdrop of a summer sunset painted in deep oranges, pinks, and golds.
Naturally, people start questioning what they’re witnessing. Someone remarks, “Those aren’t bats. Bats fly erratically.” The presence of drunken revelers nearby makes it clear that these are indeed birds, not bats.
But what kind of birds are they? And why are they getting closer, nearly close enough to touch as they soar by?
These questions have been asked for years. The answer lies in the purple martins, North America’s largest swallow species, who gather in Nashville as a stopover before their fall migration to South America. For decades, the birds inhabited the city’s less populated areas, inconspicuous to most residents. However, in 2020, during the peak of the pandemic, approximately 150,000 purple martins flocked to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville’s bustling tourist district. This newfound roosting site created significant issues, resulting in a costly cleanup for the symphony, exceeding $100,000.
When the birds returned in 2021, symphony officials realized they needed to discourage future roosting. The idea of having 150,000 birds coexisting with returning concert-goers in post-pandemic times was not ideal. As a preemptive measure, the officials decided to remove the trees where the birds roosted. However, this sparked controversy as tree advocates argued against further urban canopy loss, while bird advocates proposed finding a harmonious coexistence with the purple martins. Redirecting them from one spot would only lead them to choose another nearby location. The only way to prevent their return seemed to involve cutting down every tree in town.
The ongoing conflict between humans and wildlife arises as developers encroach upon once-wild spaces, leading to clashes with nonhuman neighbors. Even when everyone acknowledges the need for action while prioritizing animal welfare, reaching an agreement on what to do can be challenging.
In an unexpected turn of events, Nashville found a remarkable solution. Representatives from Bird Safe Nashville, the Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, the mayor’s office, the parks department, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency united, proposing a plan to make Nashville a sanctuary for purple martins and all native birds. This collaboration led to a monumental achievement: Nashville’s designation as an Urban Bird Treaty city.
The comprehensive plan, spanning 32 detailed pages, outlines strategies to protect critical bird habitats, reduce urban hazards for birds, and educate the public about conservation and the role of birds in our shared ecosystems. It was a hefty undertaking, with a core group spending a year compiling data, consulting experts, and identifying key partners to execute the proposed initiatives. The plan also aims to engage the community and foster a widespread commitment to bird-friendly practices.
Political realities will inevitably impact the implementation of these initiatives. However, the team has diligently mitigated potential disruptions caused by future changes in city and state departments. Kendra Abkowitz, the chief sustainability and resilience officer for the mayor’s office, emphasizes the team’s efforts to limit the plan’s vulnerability to shifting political dynamics.
Their hard work paid off when, on May 13, also known as World Migratory Bird Day, Nashville officially received the Urban Bird Treaty city designation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Last year, when I spoke with individuals on various sides of this issue, finding common ground seemed improbable. In our highly polarized era, it is inspiring to witness people actively listening to one another, genuinely considering different perspectives, and collaborating to propose innovative solutions.
Too often, conflicts with wildlife result in the unnecessary killing of animals merely trying to survive in the shrinking remnants of their natural habitats. However, this approach is far from a genuine solution. Eliminate a coyote threatening backyard chickens, and another will swiftly take its place. Eradicate mosquitoes, and you’ll inadvertently harm essential pollinators necessary for food production. An ecosystem is a delicate organism; fooling ourselves into thinking we can control it is a fallacy.
While the symphony did remove the Chinese elm trees where the purple martins initially roosted, they replaced them with native trees more suitable for Nashville’s environment. These trees were intentionally planted in a manner less enticing to the birds. This compromise simultaneously enhanced the urban tree canopy and guided the purple martins to seek alternative roosting sites away from the symphony hall.
The result? The 2022-23 symphony season proceeded without the accompaniment of roosting purple martins. Though ironically, the birds have returned this year, selecting a small group of trees alongside a pedestrian path near the symphony campus. Each evening, between 7:30 and 8:30, a flock of approximately 150,000 purple martins grace the Nashville skies, circling the skyscrapers as they make their way to their roosting trees. Yet, their presence hasn’t caused significant disruptions this year, partly due to their altered roosting location and thanks to the city’s increased involvement in the cleanup process.
As of now, the exact reason why the birds are drawn to Nashville remains a mystery. It could be that purple martins, being insectivores, are enticed by the abundance of insects in the nearby Cumberland River. Additionally, it’s worth noting that nearly all purple martins east of the Rocky Mountains fledge from nest boxes or gourds in people’s yards. Perhaps the birds feel safer in human-inhabited spaces illuminated by artificial lights.
Soon, these magnificent creatures will begin their journey to South America, gradually departing throughout this month and fully absent by mid-September. In the meantime, volunteers…
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