WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in North Carolina?

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

Purple Martins reach North Carolina in the second week of March, are common by early April, peak in early July (12% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 8-14the second week of March
Common byApr 1-7early April
PeakJul 1-7early July
Most gone byAug 8-14the second week of August

Best: early July. First arrivals the second week of March; most are gone by the second week of August. Peak: on about 12% of North Carolina 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 North Carolina, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinMar 8-14Apr 1-7Jul 1-7Aug 8-1412%
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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Currituck CountyBest mid July · 154 checklists that week, 8,172 in all50%
  2. Chowan CountyBest the second week of July · 44 checklists that week, 2,544 in all50%
  3. Gates CountyBest the second week of July · 69 checklists that week, 4,066 in all49%
  4. Dare CountyBest mid July · 1008 checklists that week, 83,121 in all43%
  5. Bertie CountyBest the second week of August · 14 checklists that week, 1,408 in all41%
  6. Lenoir CountyBest the second week of May · 59 checklists that week, 2,189 in all40%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in North Carolina?
Purple Martins reach North Carolina in the second week of March, are common by early April, peak in early July (12% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.
When do purple martins leave North Carolina?
Most Purple Martins have left North Carolina 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 North Carolina?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in early July, on about 12% of North Carolina checklists.