Griggsville, Illinois -
Purple Martin Capital of the Nation

Purple Martin Capital of the Nation

In Griggsville, signs claim that Purple Martins eat 2,000 mosquitoes a day... and they live in luxury bird condo high-rises in town. Coincidence that purple martin houses are manufactured here? Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Purple Martin Capital

Visited Griggsville to see all the purple martins. As seen on your site about Griggsville, there should have been, hundreds.... four hour drive to witness this... There has not been many purple martins in Griggsville for three or four years or more, according to a resident of Griggsville. The tower with all the martin houses, is real nice, but the holes on all the houses, but maybe, four or five, are all closed off. Griggsville is not the Purple Martin Capital, of Illinois. I have about as many in my back yard. We seen, thirty or forty there. Please change your site on Griggsville, before somebody else wastes a trip. [Gary Phillips, 07/27/2011]

[RA: We appreciate the update. Sorry the flock had moved on; we can't vouch for their current neighborhood preferences. The apartment tower is still interesting, and Griggsville still makes the civic claim. We could re-title it as the "Purple Martin Ghost Town."]

Purple Martin Capital of the Nation

Worth the trip, never seen a bird house apartment complex. No birds were there (August 10th); the lady at city hall said they just left recently. And return in April. Seems weird, she said they fly to Brazil, so I guess that's why... [Nick F., 08/10/2010]