Michigan

in the Great Lakes

Purple Martins

Did you know that Purple Martins are swallows? Purple Martins are considered to be the largest swallow found in North America. These perching songbirds are known to be synanthropic in that they tend to live near and benefit from humans while remaining wild and undomesticated. In fact, many of the Purple Martin nesting sites in the eastern part of the United States, which includes Michigan, are provided by humans, often in the form of birdhouses which resemble white gourds.

The scientific name for the Purple Martin is Progne subis.

Click here to see more about Purple Martins and hear what they sound like.

Appearance

Male and female Purple Martins appear different from each other. The adult male bird appears to be bluish-black and glossy while the adult female appears somewhat less colorful with blue-black feathers on the back and brownish-gray colors on the underside of the body. The young birds appear more brown overall.

Migration

Purple Martins usually migrate as far south as South America in the late summer and fall with many spending the winter in the Amazon basin. They return to Michigan in the early spring, often to the same colony nesting site as before.

Click here to see more about Purple Martins.