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Purple Martin

Progne subis

Bird · family Hirundinidae · order Passeriformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
46 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
13 years[4]

The Purple Martin is a bird in the swallow family, Hirundinidae[5]. NatureServe ranks it Secure worldwide, and it is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Purple Martin a global rank of G5, which it describes as Secure[2]. In the United States the national rank is N5B, Secure for breeding birds[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. The bird is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data[1]. It is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8]. NatureServe estimates more than 1,000,000 adults worldwide[9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5B (Secure (breeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] >1,000,000 individuals

Where Purple Martin lives

NatureServe lists the Purple Martin as native in 46 US states and territories, including the District of Columbia[3]. That covers states from Maine and Florida in the east to California, Oregon and Washington in the west[3]. It also covers Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming[3]. State ranks differ a lot. Some states rank it as secure, while others rank it as much rarer, as the state rank table shows[10]. Observers have reported it most often in Texas, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey and Illinois, but those counts follow observer effort and not population size[11].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S3BMEWisconsin: native, state rank S3BWIVermont: native, state rank S3BVTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S1BNHWashington: native, state rank S3BWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: native, state rank SNRBNDMinnesota: native, state rank S3BMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S3MINew York: native, state rank S4BNYMassachusetts: native, state rank S1MAOregon: native, state rank S3BORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: native, state rank S1BWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5BSDIowa: native, state rank S5B,S5NIAIndiana: native, state rank S4BINOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S3B,S4MPANew Jersey: native, state rank S3B,S4NNJConnecticut: native, state rank S3BCTRhode Island: native, state rank S3BRICalifornia: native, state rank S3CAUtah: native, state rank S2BUTColorado: native, state rank S3BCONebraska: native, state rank S4NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRBMOKentucky: native, state rank S5BKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S3BWVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S4BMDDelaware: native, state rank S5BDEArizona: native, state rank S2BAZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3B,S4NNMKansas: native, state rank S5BKSArkansas: native, state rank S4B,S4NARTennessee: native, state rank S5TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5BNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S5BSCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S1B,S5NDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNRBOKLouisiana: native, state rank S5BLAMississippi: native, state rank S5BMSAlabama: native, state rank S5BALGeorgia: native, state rank S5GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S5BTXFlorida: native, state rank S5BFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (46 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5BSecure (breeding)
ArizonaS2BImperiled (breeding)
ArkansasS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
CaliforniaS3Vulnerable
ColoradoS3BVulnerable (breeding)
ConnecticutS3BVulnerable (breeding)
DelawareS5BSecure (breeding)
District of ColumbiaS1B,S5NCritically Imperiled (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
FloridaS5BSecure (breeding)
GeorgiaS5Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
IowaS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
KansasS5BSecure (breeding)
KentuckyS5BSecure (breeding)
LouisianaS5BSecure (breeding)
MaineS3BVulnerable (breeding)
MarylandS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
MassachusettsS1Critically Imperiled
MichiganS3Vulnerable
MinnesotaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
MississippiS5BSecure (breeding)
MissouriSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
NebraskaS4Apparently Secure
New HampshireS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
New JerseyS3B,S4NVulnerable (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New MexicoS3B,S4NVulnerable (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New YorkS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
North CarolinaS5BSecure (breeding)
North DakotaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
OregonS3BVulnerable (breeding)
PennsylvaniaS3B,S4MVulnerable (breeding), Apparently Secure (migrant)
Rhode IslandS3BVulnerable (breeding)
South CarolinaS5BSecure (breeding)
South DakotaS5BSecure (breeding)
TennesseeS5Secure
TexasS5BSecure (breeding)
UtahS2BImperiled (breeding)
VermontS3BVulnerable (breeding)
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS3BVulnerable (breeding)
West VirginiaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
WisconsinS3BVulnerable (breeding)
WyomingS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)

Habitat

NatureServe describes a wide mix of open and partly open places, often near water or around towns[12]. Its habitat list includes hardwood and conifer woodland, savanna, grassland, cropland, orchards and suburbs, wetlands and shorelines[13]. In the west and formerly in the east, it nests in tree holes, old woodpecker holes and rock crevices[12]. In the eastern and midwestern parts of the range it now nests mostly in birdhouses and gourds that people put up[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[13]

Size, diet and lifespan

The Purple Martin catches insects in the air and sometimes finds food by walking on the ground[14]. NatureServe lists ants, wasps, beetles, grasshoppers and dragonflies among its foods[14]. One diet estimate puts it at 100% invertebrates[15]. Adults are about 20 cm (8 in) long[16] and weigh about 49 g[17]. A clutch is 3 to 8 eggs, usually 4 to 5[18]. The female incubates them for 15 to 16 days, and the young leave the nest 24 to 28 days after hatching[18]. The oldest known banded bird was at least 13 years 9 months old[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[16] 20 cm (8 in)
Typical adult weight[17] 49 g (1.7 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[19] 13.8 years (wild)
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 13 years 9 months
Litter or clutch size[20] 5
Gestation or incubation[21] 15 days
Female maturity[22] 365 days (about 1.0 years)
Food habits[23] Invertivore
Migration[24] long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[15]

  • 100% invertebrates

When to look for it

The Purple Martin is active by day and is a long-distance migrant[25][24]. It reaches the southern US by early February and the northern states in April[26]. It spends most of September to March in South America[26]. Observation records on GBIF fall mostly in April, May and July, which shows when people look and report, not how many birds there are[27].

January: 5,985 recordsJanFebruary: 38,282 recordsFebMarch: 118,819 recordsMarApril: 338,837 recordsAprMay: 471,344 recordsMayJune: 293,229 recordsJunJuly: 308,317 recordsJulAugust: 218,805 recordsAugSeptember: 39,338 recordsSepOctober: 1,974 recordsOctNovember: 82 recordsNovDecember: 80 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[27].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January5,985
February38,282
March118,819
April338,837
May471,344
June293,229
July308,317
August218,805
September39,338
October1,974
November82
December80

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Purple Martin as present in 127 park units[28]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 103 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Texas, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois[11]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Purple Martin endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, Secure, worldwide[2].
Where does the Purple Martin live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 46 US states and territories, from the east coast to the west coast[3]. It often uses open areas near water or towns[12].
What does the Purple Martin eat?
It eats insects caught in the air, such as ants, wasps, beetles, grasshoppers and dragonflies[14]. One estimate gives its diet as 100% invertebrates[15].
How big is a Purple Martin?
Adults are about 20 cm (8 in) long[16] and weigh about 49 g[17].
How long does a Purple Martin live?
The oldest known banded wild bird was at least 13 years 9 months old[4]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan[19].

Facts and sources

  1. Purple Martin is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Purple Martin: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Purple Martin as native in 46 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Purple Martin from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 13 years 9 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Purple Martin (Progne subis) is a bird in the family Hirundinidae, order Passeriformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B (Secure (breeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Purple Martin is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Purple Martin (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Purple Martin: Texas, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Purple Martin. NatureServe Explorer
  13. Habitat types NatureServe records for Purple Martin: Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Shrubland/chaparral, Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Desert, Cropland/hedgerow, Suburban/orchard, Aerial, Herbaceous wetland, Riparian, Tidal flat/shore. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Purple Martin. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 100% invertebrates. EltonTraits 1.0
  16. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 20 cm (8 in). NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 49 g (1.7 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  18. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Purple Martin. NatureServe Explorer
  19. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 13.8 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  20. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 5. AnAge
  21. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 15 days. AnAge
  22. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 365 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  23. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  24. NatureServe migration category for Purple Martin: long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  25. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  26. NatureServe notes on migration for Purple Martin. NatureServe Explorer
  27. GBIF observation records of Purple Martin in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  28. NPSpecies park lists recording Purple Martin as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.