Purple Martin
Progne subis
Compiled by Liam Molina
Purple Martins are familiar birds for longtime followers of Travis Audubon due to our yearly Purple Martin Parties. Males sport purplish-blue iridescent plumage, earning the “purple” in their name. When out of sight, these birds can be identified easily by their distinct call that sounds like gurgling liquid. These birds are found on primarily the eastern half of North America during their breeding season and spend our fall and winter seasons in Brazil. In the late summer, Purple Martins roost together by the thousands, attracting widespread attention from local birders. They are so densely packed that their presence can be observed on a weather radar. These roosts last for weeks, and for decades the Austin-area roost has been located in shopping centers.
Purple Martins are insectivores and catch all of their food in flight (called “hawking”), and drink by flying low to ponds and scooping the water with their lower bills. When breeding, males arrive to their northern grounds before females, claiming their territory and overseeing various nest sites. They typically only raise one brood, with a clutch size of between 4-6 eggs.
Purple Martins are synanthropic, meaning they benefit from living in close proximity to humans. Native Americans were known to hang gourds for Purple Martins prior to European arrival. Nowadays, populations on the eastern half of the United States primarily nest in human-supplied bird houses. Unfortunately, Purple Martins are commonly pushed out of their bird houses by European Starlings and House Sparrows, posing a significant threat to the species.
See hundreds of thousands of Purple Martins for yourself at this year’s Purple Martin Parties! For more information, click here.
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Photo Credits: Ben Rippley, Nicole Vergalla, Keith King, Mick Thompson
