By Adam Betuel, Executive Director, Birds Georgia
On a warm July evening in 1926, more than 400 Purple Martins roosted in shade trees along Capitol Avenue – making a pit stop in Atlanta during their annual fall migration.
But the birds’ presence wasn’t welcome by all. Neighbors complained of noise and unsanitary conditions. Police officers were deployed with shotguns.
They killed the birds by the wagonload.
The killing spurred the newly-fledged Atlanta Bird Club into action. Members led protests and investigations, shared the story widely, and drew nationwide media attention. They extolled the virtues of Purple Martins – insectivores that help rid our communities of pests – and worked with state and local officials to ensure future protections.
A century later, it’s hard to even imagine 400 Purple Martins in downtown Atlanta. Birds are disappearing. A 2019 study found that North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970. But the biggest driver of that loss isn’t disgruntled homeowners and guns – it’s habitat loss.
That’s why our mission is to build places where birds and people thrive.
Inspired by our founders at the Atlanta Bird Club and a century of conservation and community, Birds Georgia is marking its Centennial anniversary with a renewed commitment to building healthy habitats for birds and wildlife across Georgia.
We’re working statewide. Our Habitat Program includes restoration projects such as turning a former golf course into grassland habitat on Jekyll Island; restoring meadow habitat at the “Sparrow Field” along the Chattahoochee River; and planting native seeds at the Historic Wilburn Farm in the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area.
We’re working locally. Through our Bird City Georgia initiative, we guide cities, towns, counties, and campuses in taking meaningful steps to protect native bird populations while enhancing quality of life for residents. We’re helping to reduce bird-building collisions through individual building retrofits and our Project Safe Flight Program.
And we’re working with individuals. Our Wildlife Sanctuary Program, established in 1977, helps property owners enhance their lands to build critical wildlife habitat in their own backyards. Our Habitat Stewardship Program connects public and private landowners with educational resources and technical assistance programs to improve their lands for native wildlife.
Finally, this year we’ll launch the Georgia Birding Trail. This network of birding hotspots across the state will highlight Georgia’s diverse ecoregions and incredible birdlife. By drawing attention to these wild places, including state parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and public green spaces, we aim to deepen Georgians’ connections with nature and inspire new generations of conservationists.
A century ago, Atlanta’s response to Purple Martins was shaped by fear, inconvenience, and a lack of understanding. Today, we know better – and we have the tools to do better. The future of Georgia’s birds will not be decided by shotguns or silence, but by the choices we make about land, community, and stewardship. As Birds Georgia enters its second century, we invite all Georgians to be part of this legacy: to protect the habitats that sustain us all, and to ensure that future generations don’t just read about birds that once filled our skies – but can look up and see them for themselves.
Read more about Birds Georgia’s history and conservation work: https://www.birdsgeorgia.org/
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