WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Kansas?

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

Purple Martins reach Kansas in mid March, are common by the second week of April, peak in mid July (20% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 15-21mid March
Common byApr 8-14the second week of April
PeakJul 15-21mid July
Most gone byAug 15-21mid August

Best: mid July. First arrivals mid March; most are gone by mid August. Peak: on about 20% of Kansas checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maycommon
  6. Junpeak season
  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 Kansas, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinMar 15-21Apr 8-14Jul 15-21Aug 15-2120%
0%10%20%30%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 Kansas 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 Kansas

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Anderson CountyBest early July · 16 checklists that week, 701 in all54%
  2. Pratt CountyBest late April · 102 checklists that week, 1,637 in all51%
  3. Labette CountyBest late June · 28 checklists that week, 1,249 in all40%
  4. Miami CountyBest the second week of July · 53 checklists that week, 5,634 in all40%
  5. Wilson CountyBest mid July · 12 checklists that week, 551 in all40%
  6. Atchison CountyBest mid July · 34 checklists that week, 3,228 in all40%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Kansas?
Purple Martins reach Kansas in mid March, are common by the second week of April, peak in mid July (20% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.
When do purple martins leave Kansas?
Most Purple Martins have left Kansas by mid August, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early September.
When is the best time to see purple martins in Kansas?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in mid July, on about 20% of Kansas checklists.