WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Kentucky?

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

Purple Martins reach Kentucky in the second week of March, are common by the second week of April, peak in mid July (21% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.

When to look

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

Best: mid July. First arrivals the second week of March; most are gone by late August. Peak: on about 21% of Kentucky checklists.

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

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

Purple Martins in Kentucky, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinMar 8-14Apr 8-14Jul 15-21Aug 22-3121%
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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. McCracken CountyBest mid June · 40 checklists that week, 4,610 in all71%
  2. Garrard CountyBest the second week of July · 22 checklists that week, 1,578 in all62%
  3. Lincoln CountyBest mid July · 31 checklists that week, 2,393 in all61%
  4. Spencer CountyBest early August · 162 checklists that week, 7,721 in all51%
  5. Logan CountyBest the second week of June · 45 checklists that week, 1,991 in all49%
  6. Woodford CountyBest late June · 32 checklists that week, 1,453 in all48%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Kentucky?
Purple Martins reach Kentucky in the second week of March, are common by the second week of April, peak in mid July (21% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.
When do purple martins leave Kentucky?
Most Purple Martins have left Kentucky by late 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 Kentucky?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in mid July, on about 21% of Kentucky checklists.