Every summer, the skies in Round Rock witness hundreds of thousands of Purple Martins (Progne subis) gathering in parking lots. These birds create a massive, swirling roost every evening around sunset. People flock to see these wonderful birds as they prepare for their long migration to Brazil. The numbers of birds vary, but it is estimated in the hundreds of thousands or maybe half a million.
The birds put on a mesmerizing aerial display, often described as a “bird hurricane” or “birdnado,” as they descend into the trees around sunset. Last night, I met some friends to witness this birdnado. The show did not disappoint. Presently, the birds congregate at the Round Rock Crossing Shopping Center. They are very social and love urban parking areas. When the sun starts to set, they fly around looking for the best trees to roost. They gather here to feed, socialize, and rest before their 5,000-mile (8,047-km) journey to Brazil.
Purple Martins rely almost exclusively on human-made housing to nest and raise their young. Every single bird in the Round Rock roost likely hatched in someone’s backyard birdhouse. It is very common to see different types of man-made homes all across the Austin area to assist these highly social birds to nest and raise their young.
People often wonder why Purple Martins prefer parking lots to roost. Ornithologists believe the wide, flat, open space with scattered trees is similar to the small islands of vegetation along wide rivers where they roost in the Amazon. It is fascinating to see their interdependence with humans. Luckily, some organizations, such as the Travis Audubon Society and the Purple Martin Conservation Association, help protect these beautiful birds.
The featured image and the following image were captured last night. Seeing the name of the restaurant in that photo immediately took me back to the movie “Three Men and a Baby.” Therefore, I thought it was appropriate to give that image the title “Five Guys and Hundreds of Birds.” As for the final image, I constantly thought of Hitchcock’s “The Birds” as these birds swirled around near us. I also thought that a monochrome edit would be my tribute to the late Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, who passed away on May 23, 2025.
Although we were prepared with hats and umbrellas, I am glad to report that the birds behaved well and did not do any droppings on us. We made sure we were close, but there were no signs of bird droppings in the grassy area where we stood.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Bird of the Week, Round Rock, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Birds of the Week Invitation CXXVIII.
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Steve Schwartzman
Have you also seen or photographed purple martins at the Brazilian end of their migration?
Egidio Leitao
No, I haven’t photographed them. I’ve seen them around my hometown.
Amy
How impressive, Egidio!!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks so much, Amy.
solaner
your swallows look quite similar to barn swallows
Egidio Leitao
That’s true. Thanks for pointing it out.
SoyBend
Wow! That’s a lot of birds, Egidio. Great photos of them.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks so much.
philosophy through photography
Egidio, a stunning mix of motion, memory, and monochrome.
“Five Guys and Hundreds of Birds” hits with quiet wit, and the tribute to Salgado adds a graceful layer.
That swirling birdnado under a fading sky—magic and perfectly framed.
Egidio Leitao
So glad you liked them. Thanks.
philosophy through photography
You are welcome, Egidio.
Anne Sandler
Simply awesome in information and images Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Anne.
Wandering Dawgs
What an amazing thing to witness!
Egidio Leitao
It was my first, and I know I’ll be returning for more.
Donna Robinson Photography
What an exciting experience, Egidio! Great captures of the “birnado.” Thank you for sharing.😉📷
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your compliment, Donna.
Tranature - quiet moments in nature
Beautiful images Egídio and what a treat to see these wonderful birds 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Xenia. Although they’ve been around the city for years, this was my first time to see them roosting.
margaret21
A birnado. How mesmerising. As good as, or better than a starling murmuration.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Margaret. I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed a starling murmuration.
margaret21
Oh, it’s one of the wonders of nature. We’re lucky here: they’re quite easy to see during winter months.
Marie
Incredible. How to ltey all find enough food when they gather in such numbers?
Egidio Leitao
Marie, during the day, they fly all around looking for insects. At night, they come “home” to their parking lot. Those daytime photos in the post were captured in a park about 8 miles north of the roosting area.
shoreacres
It’s interesting that you have such large numbers of purple martins. We have grackels that congregate in lesser, but still substantial numbers. Have you ever watched your birds on radar? In the mornings, it’s fun to watch hundreds of birds leaving their roosts around the area. Their radar signature, expanding circles, is obvious.
Egidio Leitao
Grackles are also around here, but they don’t get in the news. I never looked at birds on radar. Sometimes, the weather newscaster will show radar with bats in the So. Congress Ave. bridge in downtown Austin, but I have not seen that in the news lately.
Writing to Freedom
Thanks for the education about purple martins Egidio. I had no idea such large numbers congregate and migrate. It sounds like a great spectacle to witness.
Egidio Leitao
It was really fun, Brad. Best of all was doing it with several friends. We were all prepared with umbrellas and hats, but the birds were nice and did not do any droppings on us. 🙂
Writing to Freedom
LOL! You really preparing. 😄