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The purple martin (Progne subis) is a passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is the largest swallow in North America. Despite its name, the purple martin is not truly purple.
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.
Find This Bird. In eastern North America during the summer, look for Purple Martins around martin houses, the miniature condominiums that many people put up in yards. The birds are more challenging to find in the West, where they nest in woodpecker holes in dead snags.
Distinctive north of Mexico, where it is the largest swallow. Adult males are dark overall with a purplish-blue iridescence visible at close range. Females are grayer with iridescence on the crown and back, and variable splotchy patterning on the underparts.
The purple martin is the largest swallow in North America. Males are all dark, glossy blue-black; females and immatures duller above and grayish below.
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.
Purple Martins are the largest North American swallows. Adult males are unmistakable, with their glossy, iridescent purple-blue plumage covering most of their body. Their wings and tail are black, creating a striking contrast.
