WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Arizona?

Adult female Purple Martin
Photo: Ron Bondy, CC BY-SA 4.0 via iNaturalist

Purple Martins reach Arizona in early May, are common by late May, peak in the second week of July (5.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid September.

When to look

First arrivalsMay 1-7early May
Common byMay 22-31late May
PeakJul 8-14the second week of July
Most gone bySep 15-21mid September

Best: the second week of July. First arrivals early May; most are gone by mid September. Peak: on about 5.6% of Arizona checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprrare
  5. Maycommon
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Purple Martins in Arizona, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinMay 1-7May 22-31Jul 8-14Sep 15-215.6%
0%2%4%6%8%Purple MartinJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Purple Martin
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Arizona that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Arizona

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Pima CountyBest late August · 8694 checklists that week, 437,722 in all17%
  2. Greenlee CountyBest the second week of June · 95 checklists that week, 2,745 in all15%
  3. Navajo CountyBest mid July · 476 checklists that week, 18,838 in all15%
  4. Coconino CountyBest late July · 2315 checklists that week, 90,870 in all8.7%
  5. Pinal CountyBest late June · 459 checklists that week, 40,036 in all6.8%
  6. Apache CountyBest mid July · 337 checklists that week, 12,931 in all4.8%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Arizona?
Purple Martins reach Arizona in early May, are common by late May, peak in the second week of July (5.6% of checklists), and most are gone by mid September.
When do purple martins leave Arizona?
Most Purple Martins have left Arizona by mid September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late September.
When is the best time to see purple martins in Arizona?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 5.6% of Arizona checklists.