Photo: JJ Cadiz, Cajay / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Purple Martin
Progne subis
Purple Martin (Progne subis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Purple Martin (Progne subis) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 53.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Hirundinidae Swallows, Martins
- Genus Progne
- Species subis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 53.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes differ (strongly dimorphic for a swallow): the adult male is uniformly glossy iridescent blue-purple that often looks black; the female is duller and paler, with a grayish collar/forehead, dark iridescent upperparts, and dingy grayish, mottled/scaled underparts.
Juvenile appearance
Immatures resemble females, gray-brown above with paler, whitish bellies; both sexes show delayed plumage maturation and young males acquire their full iridescent dark plumage in blotchy patches over about two years.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purple Martin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Purple Martin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Purple Martin (Progne subis) is a member of the Hirundinidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 53.8 g, with a wing length of about 14.7 cm and a tail of around 7.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purple Martin?
The Purple Martin is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 53.8 g.
Where does the Purple Martin live?
The Purple Martin is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Purple Martin belong to?
The Purple Martin (Progne subis) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Purple Martin eat?
The Purple Martin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Purple Martin migrate?
The Purple Martin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Purple Martin endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Purple Martin make?
1 real field recording of the Purple Martin — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Purple Martin's range?
The Purple Martin has a mapped global range of about 5.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
How to Attract Purple Martin to Your Yard
How to attract Purple Martin to your yard — the habitat, water and plantings that bring them in (they aren't a seed-feeder bird), plus nesting help.