The Walt Disney World Golf Courses have been certified by Audubon International as Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuaries for many years. In recognition of Earth Day 2024 (Monday April 22nd), the post highlights their environmental commitment.
They installed purple martin nesting facilities at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course (near the 10th tee box and near the 14th green) and at Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course (to the rear of #9 green alongside the canal).
Purple martins are the largest members of the swallow family and are considered a priority species for conservation in Florida by the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. They annually migrate several thousand miles from Brazil in South America, over land and sea via Central America and Mexico, arriving in Central Florida in January and February.
Human-built bird houses support their migration and mating habits. Conservation experts from Disney's Animals, Science and Environment come onsite for weekly scheduled checks of the nests, monitoring progress, counting eggs. The nests are on cabled mechanisms that allow lowering and raising, with side caps for visual observation. Some purple martins may be tagged with GPS tracking devices or identification tags.
The nesting and breeding cycle completes in spring, and the newly hatched purple martins begin migration back to South America in June or July. They tend to return each year to familiar places once they establish a breeding location.