Purple Martin
A species of New world martins Scientific name : Progne subis Genus : New world martins
Purple Martin, A species of New world martins
Botanical name: Progne subis
Genus: New world martins
Photo By Shanthanu Bhardwaj , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
North America’s largest swallow, the purple Martin can be commonly found in backyards, particularly in the specialized birdhouses many homeowners build for them. These social birds flock in small communities, returning every year to the same condominium-style homes put up by their human landlords. Interestingly, the purple Martin gets all of its food and its water while in flight.
Size
18-22 cm (7.25-8.5 in)
Life Expectancy
9-14years
Nest Placement
Cavity
Clutch Size
3 - 6 eggs
Incubation Period
1 - 2 broods
Number of Broods
15 - 18 days
Nestling Period
27 - 36 days
Feeding Habits
Purple Martin primarily consumes a variety of flying insects caught mid-air at altitudes often exceeding 150 feet. They exhibit aerial agility with swift turns and tail flaring to capture prey like beetles, dragonflies, and more. They occasionally feed in pairs, and ingest gravel for digestion assistance.
Habitat
Purple Martin typically reside in regions near forest edges, riparian zones, and around human habitations, including cities and towns. These birds prefer open areas such as parks, fields, and bodies of water for foraging. They nest in cavities, traditionally in dead snags by water, but now predominantly in man-made nest boxes in eastern North America. Western purple Martin still utilize natural cavities in woodlands. At higher altitudes, they are found in mountain forests, while lower Pacific regions also serve as their habitat. During South American winters, they frequent savannas and agricultural lands, roosting communally in urban areas at night.
Nest Behavior
Purple Martin's nesting season begins with males and females inspecting potential sites before the female selects based on site quality. Egg-laying follows nest building, with both parents involved in caring for hatchlings until fledging.
Nest Characteristics
Purple Martin often selects cavities within birdhouses, gourds, or natural formations such as dead trees, cacti, cliffs, and even man-made structures like traffic lights. Their nests typically consist of twigs, plant stems, mud, and grass, and are found in open areas on poles or hanging from wires.
Dite type
Insectivorous
People often ask
Migration Overview
Wintering in Brazil, Bolivia and parts of Peru, purple martins migrate to North America in the spring to breed. Spring migration is somewhat staggered, with arrivals in southern areas such as Florida and Texas in January, but showing up in the northern United States in April and in Canada as late as May. Arrival date to the breeding grounds tends to correlate directly with age. It is assumed that the older birds arrive on the breeding grounds first to obtain the better nesting sites. Older males typically migrate first and leave the overwintering sites in late December or early January, followed by older females. Younger birds (first yearlings) typically arrive to the breeding grounds up to two months later. Fall migration is also staggered, as birds head south when the breeding season is over. Some birds leave as early as July and others stay as late as October. Martins generally migrate over land, through Mexico and Central America. When not breeding, martins form large flocks and roost together in great numbers. This behavior begins just prior to the southern migration and continues on the wintering grounds. These flocks can be so large that when they take-off from these roosts to forage the activity is detected on Doppler radar as rings. Referred to as roost rings, they start small then get larger until the birds have spread out and the ring disappears.
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird Feeder Type
Platform
Sounds
Call
Recording location: United States
Behavior
Purple Martin exhibit a distinct pattern of flight, which includes rapid wing flaps followed by smooth gliding while foraging for insects mid-air. These birds seldom touch the ground, venturing only to gather nesting materials or to ingest grit, assisting their digestive process. Male purple Martin demonstrate territorial behavior, claiming several compartments within birdhouses as their nesting domain, defending against other males. This territory typically reduces in size as new males join the area. Females, though having smaller territories, similarly defend against their counterparts, often condensing their area to a single nest compartment upon laying eggs. Physical altercations are rare, predominantly occurring when another bird invades a nest compartment. Though typically monogamous with one pair per nest, extra-pair copulation is common. Post-nesting, purple Martin form flocks, leading into large communal roosts during the non-breeding season.
Distribution Area
Purple martins' breeding range is throughout temperate North America. Their breeding habitat is open areas across eastern North America, and also some locations on the west coast from British Columbia to Mexico. Martins make their nests in cavities, either natural or artificial. In many places, humans put up real or artificial hollow gourds, or houses for martins, especially in the east, where purple martins are almost entirely dependent on such structures. As a result, this subspecies typically breeds in colonies located in proximity to people, even within cities and towns. This makes their distribution patchy, as they are usually absent from areas where no nest sites are provided. Western birds often make use of natural cavities such as old woodpecker holes in trees or saguaro cacti. The purple martin migrates to the Amazon basin in winter. Its winter range extends into Ecuador but does not seem to ascend far up the Andean foothills. The first record of this species in Europe was a single bird on Lewis, Scotland, on 5–6 September 2004, and the second was on the Azores on 6 September 2004. 
Species Status
Purple martins suffered a severe population crash in the 20th century widely linked to the release and spread of European starlings in North America. European starlings and house sparrows compete with martins for nest cavities. Where purple martins once gathered by the thousands, by the 1980s they had all but disappeared. There is a misconception among many people of purple martin temperament. Many people believe purple martins will defend their nesting sites against competitor species such as the house sparrow and European starling. However, both species are more aggressive and in most cases will instinctively fight to the death in order to obtain a nesting site. The house sparrow and European starling are known to kill adult martins, take over the nest and remove eggs or remaining young. Though listed as ‘Least Concern’ with the IUCN, purple martins are experiencing a unique threat to their long-term survival. Nearly all eastern species exclusively nest in artificial gourds and ‘condo’ units provided by human ‘landlords’. A practice that has been experiencing a steady decline in the number of ‘landlords’ offering nesting sites. One study found that nearly 90% of landlords were 50 years of age or older, and that younger generations were not exhibiting the same enthusiasm nor possess the resources to provided martin housing for the species.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Swallows Genus
New world martins Species
Purple Martin 
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