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Adult males are iridescent, dark blue-purple overall with brown-black wings and tail. Large and chunky swallow. Females/immatures are duller, with variable amounts of gray on the head and chest and a dingy lower belly. Note gray collar around the neck.
Learn about Purple Martin (subis/arboricola): explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.
Free, global bird ID and field guide app powered by your sightings and media. Learn about Purple Martin (hesperia): explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.
Purple Martin. Adult male. Photo: Agami Photo Agency/Shutterstock. At a Glance. Graceful in flight, musical in its pre-dawn singing, this big swallow is one of our most popular birds. Almost all Purple Martins in the east now nest in birdhouses put up especially for them.
In the East, dark, glossy-blue males and brown females will peer from the entrances and chirp from the rooftops all summer. In the West, martins mainly still nest the old-fashioned way—in woodpecker holes. Our largest swallows, Purple Martins perform aerial acrobatics to snap up flying insects.
See photos of the Purple Martin and learn about this bird's size, habitat, and diet. Includes identification tips, range information, and sounds.
Lifecycle and body size information about Purple Martin, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
