Purple Martin
Progne subis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusProgne (New World Martins)
- SpeciesProgne subis (Purple Martin)
The purple martin (Progne subis) is a passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is the largest swallow in North America. Despite its name, the purple martin is not truly purple. The dark blackish-blue feathers have an iridescent sheen caused by the diffraction of incident light giving them a bright blue to navy blue or deep purple appearance. In some light, they may even appear green in color. They are migratory, with their breeding range including all of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, as well as the coastal Pacific Northwest, Baja California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Piedras Blancas National Park
Gray-breasted Martin
Progne chalybea
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
Mangrove Swallow
Tachycineta albilinea
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
Variable Seedeater
Sporophila corvina
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Riverside Wren
Cantorchilus semibadius
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Purple Martin at Piedras Blancas National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there