WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Oregon?

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

Purple Martins reach Oregon in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in the second week of August (7.6% of checklists), and most are gone by early September.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 8-14the second week of April
Common byApr 15-21mid April
PeakAug 8-14the second week of August
Most gone bySep 1-7early September

Best: the second week of August. First arrivals the second week of April; most are gone by early September. Peak: on about 7.6% of Oregon 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. Sepcommon
  10. Octnot usually seen
  11. Novnot usually seen
  12. Decnot usually seen

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

Purple Martins in Oregon, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 8-14Apr 15-21Aug 8-14Sep 1-77.6%
0%5%10%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 Oregon 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 Oregon

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Washington CountyBest early August · 1689 checklists that week, 110,376 in all17%
  2. Columbia CountyBest mid August · 453 checklists that week, 27,750 in all16%
  3. Multnomah CountyBest the second week of August · 2706 checklists that week, 182,088 in all16%
  4. Coos CountyBest early August · 490 checklists that week, 24,368 in all15%
  5. Lincoln CountyBest mid August · 1431 checklists that week, 66,994 in all13%
  6. Clatsop CountyBest mid August · 884 checklists that week, 44,300 in all11%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Oregon?
Purple Martins reach Oregon in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in the second week of August (7.6% of checklists), and most are gone by early September.
When do purple martins leave Oregon?
Most Purple Martins have left Oregon by early September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of September.
When is the best time to see purple martins in Oregon?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in the second week of August, on about 7.6% of Oregon checklists.