WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Connecticut?

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

Purple Martins reach Connecticut in the second week of April, are common by late April, peak in late July (11% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 8-14the second week of April
Common byApr 22-30late April
PeakJul 22-31late July
Most gone byAug 15-21mid August

Best: late July. First arrivals the second week of April; most are gone by mid August. Peak: on about 11% of Connecticut checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Apruncommon
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augpeak season
  9. Seprare
  10. Octnot usually seen
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Purple Martins in Connecticut, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 8-14Apr 22-30Jul 22-31Aug 15-2111%
0%5%10%15%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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. New Haven CountyBest late July · 2556 checklists that week, 139,721 in all27%
  2. Fairfield CountyBest late July · 2415 checklists that week, 139,848 in all13%
  3. New London CountyBest early August · 871 checklists that week, 65,205 in all9.8%
  4. Middlesex CountyBest late July · 592 checklists that week, 39,919 in all7.3%
  5. Windham CountyBest early August · 296 checklists that week, 19,034 in all6.7%
  6. Tolland CountyBest the second week of July · 602 checklists that week, 39,004 in all3.8%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Connecticut?
Purple Martins reach Connecticut in the second week of April, are common by late April, peak in late July (11% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.
When do purple martins leave Connecticut?
Most Purple Martins have left Connecticut by mid August, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late August.
When is the best time to see purple martins in Connecticut?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in late July, on about 11% of Connecticut checklists.