Purple Martin
Learn to identify the Purple Martin by ear. Master the "prrt-prrt-chu-gheer gheer" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Purple Martin sounds like
Soft, throaty gurgles and chirrs delivered in series, most loudly at sunrise when males circle their colony.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Breeds across most of the United States and southern Canada; migrates to the lowlands of the Amazon Basin and southeastern Brazil for the non-breeding season.
Open country near water, towns, farmland and wetlands—anywhere with broad aerial foraging space and suitable nesting cavities or multi-compartment martin houses.
Arrives in breeding areas from late February (south) through May (north). Fledglings depart colonies by late July, and most birds are en route to South America by early September.
How to recognize it by sight
The Purple Martin is North America's largest swallow, renowned for its graceful flight and glossy plumage. Adult males shimmer with an almost iridescent blue-black that appears deep violet in sunlight, while females and immatures show a softer mix of gray and dusky purple. Highly social, they nest in colonies, often in human-supplied martin houses that have made them a backyard favorite across much of eastern North America.