WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Massachusetts?

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

Purple Martins reach Massachusetts in mid April, are common by late April, peak in late July (3.8% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.

When to look

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

Best: late July. First arrivals mid April; most are gone by the second week of August. Peak: on about 3.8% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  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 Massachusetts, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 15-21Apr 22-30Jul 22-31Aug 8-143.8%
0%1%2%3%4%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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Barnstable CountyBest mid July · 3810 checklists that week, 215,188 in all10%
  2. Plymouth CountyBest mid June · 1449 checklists that week, 89,282 in all9.1%
  3. Essex CountyBest late July · 3304 checklists that week, 213,973 in all8.9%
  4. Bristol CountyBest late July · 1384 checklists that week, 65,262 in all4.4%
  5. Norfolk CountyBest late June · 2167 checklists that week, 114,756 in all3.2%
  6. Hampshire CountyBest mid June · 2678 checklists that week, 162,423 in all2.4%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Massachusetts?
Purple Martins reach Massachusetts in mid April, are common by late April, peak in late July (3.8% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.
When do purple martins leave Massachusetts?
Most Purple Martins have left Massachusetts by the second week of August, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid August.
When is the best time to see purple martins in Massachusetts?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in late July, on about 3.8% of Massachusetts checklists.