Oregon Purple Martin Capture, Tagging, and Tracking Project

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is conducting a sole-source procurement for the Oregon Purple Martin Movement Study, a specialized research project focused on capturing, tagging, and tracking western purple martins. The contract will be awarded to the Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO), the only entity with the necessary state and federal permits to perform this research. The project involves deploying archival GPS tags and Motus tags on up to 20 adult Western Purple Martins over two years, with research sites located at Fern Ridge Reservoir in Lane County and North Bank Habitat Management Area in Douglas County. Key objectives include determining migration corridors, identifying stopover and wintering sites, understanding migration timing, analyzing habitat associations, and studying breeding site fidelity across the Pacific United States and into Central and South America. The procurement is being conducted under OAR 137-047-0275, 279B.050(6)(m), and ORS 279B.075, with a proposal due date of September 1, 2025. Any protests to the procurement must be submitted in writing within seven calendar days of the first public notice, directed to the ODFW Designated Procurement Officer via specific email addresses.

The sole-source contract is specifically designated for KBO due to their unique qualifications, including previous experience deploying 40 archival GPS datalogger tags and 35 Motus radio transmitter tags on Purple Martins since 2020. The project is funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, with ODFW paying the contractor as deliverables are completed throughout the contract period in 2025 and 2026. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types are mentioned in the procurement documents. The contract will leverage KBO's existing partnerships and landowner access agreements, and relies on their specialized USGS Federal Bird Banding Permit #22834. While a specific contract value is not disclosed, the project will be funded through the federal grant and will involve comprehensive research tracking and monitoring of purple martin migration patterns. The single point of contact for questions is Claire Duvall, who can be reached at claire.j.duvall@odfw.oregon.gov or (971) 372-8721.