WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Missouri?

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

Purple Martins reach Missouri in the second week of March, are common by late March, peak in the second week of July (14% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 8-14the second week of March
Common byMar 22-31late March
PeakJul 8-14the second week of July
Most gone byAug 8-14the second week of August

Best: the second week of July. First arrivals the second week of March; most are gone by the second week of August. Peak: on about 14% of Missouri checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Maruncommon
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Maycommon
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julpeak season
  8. Augcommon
  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 Missouri, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinMar 8-14Mar 22-31Jul 8-14Aug 8-1414%
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 Missouri 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 Missouri

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Daviess CountyBest mid June · 26 checklists that week, 1,354 in all84%
  2. Dunklin CountyBest mid June · 50 checklists that week, 4,078 in all62%
  3. Howell CountyBest late July · 44 checklists that week, 2,245 in all56%
  4. Miller CountyBest late April · 56 checklists that week, 1,190 in all47%
  5. Oregon CountyBest late March · 49 checklists that week, 1,145 in all43%
  6. Gasconade CountyBest mid April · 11 checklists that week, 478 in all42%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Missouri?
Purple Martins reach Missouri in the second week of March, are common by late March, peak in the second week of July (14% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.
When do purple martins leave Missouri?
Most Purple Martins have left Missouri by the second week of 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 Missouri?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 14% of Missouri checklists.