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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.
Martin, any of several swallows belonging to the family Hirundinidae (order Passeriformes). In America the name refers to the purple martin (Progne subis) and its four tropical relatives—at 20 cm (8 inches) long, the largest American swallows.
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.
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.
The western house martin (Delichon urbicum), sometimes called the common house martin, northern house martin or, particularly in Europe, just house martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and across the Palearctic; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia.
Large and long-bodied with a small head and bill. Females/immatures are duller, with variable amounts of gray on the head and chest and a dingy lower belly with variable amounts of speckling. A Purple Martin's dark body, long wings, and notched tail are all easily visible in flight.
Purple Martins are fairly common birds, especially in the southeastern U.S., but their numbers declined by approximately 0.5% per year, resulting in a cumulative decline of about 25% between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.
