Purple Martin

Purple Martin, male

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Purple Martin, sub-adult male

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The largest of the North American swallows, the Purple Martin is a popular tenant of backyard birdhouses. In fact, in eastern North America it has nested almost exclusively in nest boxes for more than 100 years.

Description

• Large swallow; medium-sized songbird.
• Large head.
• Thick chest.
• Broad, pointed wings.
• Male entirely bluish-black.

• Size: 19-20 cm (7-8 in)
• Wingspan: 39-41 cm (15-16 in)
• Weight: 45-60 g (1.59-2.12 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male all dark, female dingy below.

Sound

Song a series of musical chirps interspersed with raspy twitters.

Conservation Status

Some populations are undergoing a long-term decline. Not listed as threatened or endangered anywhere.

Other Names

Hirondelle noire (French)
Golondrina grande negruzca, Golondrina azul americana (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Native Americans hung up empty gourds for the Purple Martin before Europeans arrived in North America. Purple Martins in eastern North America now nest almost exclusively in birdhouses, but those in the West use mostly natural cavities.

• Despite the term "scout" used for the first returning Purple Martins, the first arriving individuals are not checking out the area to make sure it is safe for the rest of the group. They are the older martins returning to areas where they nested before. Martins returning north to breed for their first time come back several weeks later. The earlier return of older individuals is a common occurrence in species of migratory birds.

• The Purple Martin is unusual among birds that use nest boxes; several pairs will nest in a single box with multiple compartments. However, one male will attempt to defend multiple compartments. Western martins are less likely to use boxes with multiple compartments.

• The Purple Martin not only gets all its food in flight, it gets all its water that way too. It skims the surface of a pond and scoops up the water with its lower bill.

• The Purple Martin Conservation Association supports the study of the Purple Martin, and has more information available on its web site. The Purple Martin Society of North America also provides information on martins and martin houses.

Sources used to construct this page:

Brown, C. R. 1997. Purple Martin (Progne subis). In The Birds of North America, No. 287 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.