![]() During fall, in the East, very large aggregations of thousands of birds form locally in late summer. in Texas, Florida, and Gulf Coast early March in Virginia and Kansas, mid-April in southern Canada, May in Arizona, early May in Montana. Migration: in spring, arrives as early as mid-Jan. Nest: in cavity excavated by another species, or in artificial structures 3–6 eggs (late March–late May). In the West, frequently solitarily, more often in natural cavities in forested areas, and in saguaro cactus in desert Southwest. ![]() Breeding: in the East, colonially almost exclusively in artificial sites near human habitations. Also gives a churring, chortling “dawn song” around potential nest sites upon arriving on the breeding grounds in early spring.įairly common but a local and declining summer resident. Song: usually a series of chortles, gurgles, and slightly harsher croaking phrases. When alarmed or excited, gives a zwrack or zweet call. VoiceĬall: most frequently gives a chur call in many situations. Female purple martin is the only species with contrasting gray collar on hind neck and pale forehead. Very similar to, sometimes indistinguishable from, other martins except the brown-chested. Immature males tend to look more like females of eastern subspecies ( subis). Graceful, liquid wingbeats interspersed with gliding and soaring.įemales of western ( arboricola) and desert ( hesperia) subspecies with whiter underparts and forehead. Immature: similar to adult female young males show some blue-black on head and underparts, dark shaft streaks on ventral feathers, and sometimes a less distinct collar on hind neck females, paler below and browner above, and lack dusky centers on undertail coverts. Undertail coverts grayish with dusky centers. Throat, breast, and flanks dusky brown, paler on center of belly. Adult female: duller above than male, with more scattered patches of blue-black above. In hand, small concealed white tuft on sides of rump and sides of body are visible. Length 7.5".Īdult male: all glossy blue-black above and below, wings and tail dusky black, distinctly notched tail. The purple martin is an extremely popular and well-known bird due to its willingness to nest in structures provided by humans. Males are all dark, glossy blue-black females and immatures duller above and grayish below. The purple martin is the largest swallow in North America.
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