Purple Martins

Thanks to the Master Naturalist Historic Southside Chapter and the continued work in conservation and education, we have a new birdhouse in the park! ​You can find Purple Martin Birdhouse on the right side of the Historic Barnyard parking lot. 

​This page will tell you all about the Purple Martin, what they are, how to identify them, what makes this birdhouse special, when to expect them and more! 

---

What are Purple Martins?

Purple Martins are migratory songbirds and the largest member of the swallow family in North America. They are known for their aerial acrobatics, chattering song, insect-eating habits and their tolerance for humans. 

---

Identification

Adult Male

Adult Female

Subadult Male

Subadult Female

• Their name comes from the iridescent purple feathers predominantly found on adult males.
• The females are duller in color with gray on their head and chest with a light lower belly. 
  • Females are usually the hardest to identify, but you can look for many solid-purple feathers on either their chins, throats, bellies or under tails.
• Purple Martins have "delayed plumage maturation," which means taking more than one year to acquire adult plumage.
  • In the Purple Martin's case, the females take two years and the males take three years to reach their full adult plumage.
• Average Length: 7.5 inches
• Wingspan: 15-16 inches

---

Habitat

• East of the Rocky Mountains, Purple Martins rely primarily on human-supplied. 
  • Their dependence on us to survive is what makes the birdhouse here in Windsor Castle Park so important! 
• Native Americans hung up empty gourds for the Purple Martins before the Europeans arrived in North America.
• ​When installing Purple Martin housing, it should be about 30-120 ft. from a building and at least 40-60 ft. from trees. 
• In the west, you can find them nesting in their natural environments, such as trees and cactus.​

---

Migration

• The eastern species, Progne subis subis, breed in North America and winter in South America.
  • The breeding grounds range from Florida through southern parts of Canada. 
  • They spend the non-breeding season in seven different countries in South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, British Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.  
• The Progne subis arboricola breeds in the Pacific Northwest and Progne subis hesperia occupies the southwestern deserts of the U.S. and Mexico.​
• Before migrating south for winter, the juvenile, adult and subadults will congregate at a roost. These roosts will remain active for six weeks or longer, but the average migration group will roost an average of four weeks. 

Purple Martin Timeline:​

• Adult Arrival: January - May 
  • We can see them in our region in March 
  • Subadult Arrival: 4-12 weeks after adults

---

Nesting

• Nest building begins 4-6 weeks after arrival.
• One egg per day for a total of two - seven pure white eggs
• After the next to last egg is laid, females begin incubation. Only females can incubate the eggs
• The eggs will hatch 15-16 days after incubation
• Fledging occurs 26-32 days after hatching. ​

---

Building the Birdhouse

The Virginia Master Naturalists Historic Southside Chapter constructed the birdhouse you see in Windsor Castle Park. You can watch the slideshow to see the project from start to finish!

A huge thank you to Don and Penny Ownings for constructing the Purple Martin house and spearheading this project. 

---

Resources

Purple Martin Conservation Association
All About Birds
Identify, Attract and Manage Purple Martins