Search results
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.
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.
Learn about Purple Martin (hesperia): explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.
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.
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.
