Purple Martin Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesPurple Martin
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 sound
Male 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 sound
Female/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 sound
Adult 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 sound
Male 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, 2018Similar SpeciesNorthern Rough-winged Swallow
Adult
Northern Rough-winged Swallows are very similar to female Purple Martin, but their small size and square, not notched, tail helps to set them apart from martins.
© Kyle Lima / Macaulay LibraryMaine, May 11, 2017Similar SpeciesBank Swallow
Adult
Bank Swallows are smaller than Purple Martins, with brown upperparts and a crisp, dark-brown bar across the upper chest, a field mark that female Purple Martins lack.
© Ian Hearn / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, June 26, 2017Similar SpeciesBarn Swallow
Adult (American)
Adult Barn Swallows have longer and more deeply forked tails than Purple Martins. They also have peachy or creamy underparts, whereas female Purple Martins have dingy underparts.
© Andrew Dreelin / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 22, 2017Similar SpeciesTree Swallow
Adult female
Tree Swallows are smaller than Purple Martins with shorter squared tails. They are cleaner white below than female Purple Martins.
© Noah Strycker / Macaulay LibraryOregon, May 01, 2013Similar SpeciesViolet-green Swallow
Adult male
Violet-green Swallows are smaller than Purple Martins with shorter squared tails. They are clean white below unlike female Purple Martins, which have dingy underparts.
© Jason B Bidgood / Macaulay LibraryColorado, April 30, 2016Similar SpeciesCliff Swallow
Adult
Cliff Swallows are smaller than Purple Martins with shorter squared tails. They show a pale rump from above and have a rich red throat, two features that Purple Martins lack.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, June 02, 2017Similar SpeciesEuropean Starling
Nonbreeding
European Starlings have longer bills and short triangular wings that give them a choppy flight style instead of the smooth, rowing flight of the long-winged Purple Martins.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 27, 2010Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Swallows(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Hirundinidae)
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