What is a Purple Martin?

A Purple Martin Description

The Peterson A Field Guide To The Birds describes the Purple Martin this way:

• Field Marks:-- 7 1/2 - 8 1/2. Our largest Swallow. The male is uniformly blue-black above and below including bill. No other Swallow is black-bellied. The female is light-bellied, sometimes with a faint collar around the back of the neck.
• Similar species: -- The female may be known from the much smaller Tree Swallow by her size and the dingy grayness of the throat and breast.
• Voice:-- Throaty and rich, tchew-wew, etc.
• Range:-- Breeds in birdhouses and about buildings from Gulf of Mexico n. to Nova Scotia, nw. Ontario, and s. Manitoba. Winters in Brazil.

A Purple Martin Song

Purple martins are very social. The martin saong is a strong attractant for other martins. You may listen to a sample martin song here. Purple Martin Dawnsong

A Purple Martin Nesting

The Eastern purple martin nests almost exclusively in man-made houses. Purple martins are cavity nesters, but it is believed that all natural nesting sites in Central and Eastern North America are appropriated by exotic (imported) starlings and English (house) sparrows. These exotics are more aggressive and do not migrate. This means that the exotics can take over vacant nesting cavities before the martin arrives.

Purple Martin Diet

Purple martins eat insects while in flight. Martins have been known to eat mosquitoes, but they prefer larger insects. A healthy purple martin need not take food from humans. There are exceptions which are covered on Purple Martin Feeding.