WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Minnesota?

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

Purple Martins reach Minnesota in late April, are common by early May, peak in late July (6.9% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 22-30late April
Common byMay 1-7early May
PeakJul 22-31late July
Most gone byAug 22-31late August

Best: late July. First arrivals late April; most are gone by late August. Peak: on about 6.9% of Minnesota 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. 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 Minnesota, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 22-30May 1-7Jul 22-31Aug 22-316.9%
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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Todd CountyBest the second week of June · 94 checklists that week, 4,802 in all46%
  2. Cottonwood CountyBest late July · 118 checklists that week, 4,171 in all35%
  3. Becker CountyBest late July · 278 checklists that week, 8,604 in all33%
  4. Douglas CountyBest early August · 94 checklists that week, 4,689 in all32%
  5. Lyon CountyBest early August · 55 checklists that week, 4,283 in all32%
  6. Otter Tail CountyBest late July · 374 checklists that week, 10,351 in all30%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Minnesota?
Purple Martins reach Minnesota in late April, are common by early May, peak in late July (6.9% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.
When do purple martins leave Minnesota?
Most Purple Martins have left Minnesota 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 Minnesota?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in late July, on about 6.9% of Minnesota checklists.