Purple Martin - Region 8

Typical Range

Photo by Paul Sellin

Purple Martin - Harris Co., March 24, 2015

Photo by Susan Ellison

Purple Martin - Galveston Co., May 17, 2013

Photo by Luanne Brotherton

Purple Martin - Chambers Co., April 12, 2013

Video by Bill Duke

Purple Martin - Ft. Bend Co., July 24, 2012

Note: This video was taken in the early evening at around 8:45 CDT at a large strip center mall off a busy highway in the city of Stafford, Texas. The Purple Martin birds came from the surrounding area in Fort Bend County to roost for the night. Local ornithologiest estimate there to be in excess of 10,000 birds. They gather and roosting started at about 8:00 PM and ended by around 8:45 PM. This occurred every night for about 2 weeks before they all gathered for a returning to South America. Martins are Neotropic in nature and migrate south each winter to South America (Brazil and surrounding areas) each year. They do not nest while in their wintering grounds. Instead, they use this time to put on a whole new coat of feathers. (All birds molt at least once every year to renew their feathers). About late Dec or early Jan, they begin returning to the very southern states to begin nesting. [BD]

Photo by Joseph Kennedy

Purple Martin - Galveston Co., July 31, 2009

Photo by Joseph Kennedy

Purple Martin - Galveston Co., April 8, 2009