Purple Martin Photo Gallery
Adult male
Large, broad-chested swallow with a slightly hooked bill and long, tapered wings. Adult males are iridescent, dark blue-purple overall with brown-black wings and tail.
© Reanna Thomas / Macaulay LibraryOhio, May 04, 2019Female/immature male
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.
© Elizabeth Winter / Macaulay LibraryNebraska, May 23, 2017Female with young
Purple Martins commonly utilize artificial nest box colonies when raising their young.
© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 07, 2014Not all videos have soundMale and female
Martins pair up with one male and one female per nest, but sometimes two females may settle into different compartments of one male’s territory, and both sexes frequently mate outside of their pair bond.
© Alex Eberts / Macaulay LibraryOhio, April 23, 2018Adult male
In flight, note long, tapered wings and forked tail. Adult males are dark purplish overall, but often appear black.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, April 12, 2020Adult male
Adult males are iridescent, dark blue-purple overall, but often look black.
© Matthew D. Medler / Macaulay LibraryNew York, April 25, 2015Not all videos have soundFemale/immature male
Females/immatures in flight look brownish below with a paler speckled belly.
© Tom Johnson / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 18, 2014Female/immature male
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.
© Nick Dorian / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, August 11, 2017Adult/immature
A Purple Martin's dark body, long wings, and notched tail are all easily visible in flight.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 20, 2012Not all videos have soundAdult male
In the East, nests with other Purple Martins in birdhouses and artificial gourds clustered together in groups.
© Andrew Dreelin / Macaulay LibraryGeorgia, April 01, 2017Female/immature male
Females and immatures show a mix of gray, blue, and white. Note the gray collar and forehead.
© Sam Zhang / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 05, 2020Female/immature
Often perches on wires and other manmade structures to rest, preen, or sunbathe.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 20, 2008Not all videos have soundMale and female
Purple Martins in eastern North America nest almost exclusively in birdhouses and artificial gourds.
© Tammy Conklin / Macaulay LibraryVirginia, May 07, 2017Adult female
In the West, nests in holes in trees with dozens of martins nesting nearby.
© Mike Fish / Macaulay LibraryUtah, July 08, 2017Habitat
Purple Martins in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico nest mainly in saguaro cactus.
© Mike Sanders / Macaulay LibraryArizona, August 18, 2018Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Swallows(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Hirundinidae)
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