WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Rhode Island?

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

Purple Martins reach Rhode Island in the second week of April, are common by the second week of May, peak in late July (11% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.

When to look

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

Best: late July. First arrivals the second week of April; most are gone by mid August. Peak: on about 11% of Rhode Island 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. 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 Rhode Island, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 8-14May 8-14Jul 22-31Aug 15-2111%
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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Bristol CountyBest mid July · 277 checklists that week, 15,899 in all32%
  2. Washington CountyBest late July · 1408 checklists that week, 65,038 in all15%
  3. Kent CountyBest late July · 383 checklists that week, 16,966 in all9.1%
  4. Providence CountyBest early August · 530 checklists that week, 40,898 in all2.3%
  5. Newport CountyBest early August · 504 checklists that week, 33,574 in all1.6%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Rhode Island?
Purple Martins reach Rhode Island in the second week of April, are common by the second week of May, peak in late July (11% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.
When do purple martins leave Rhode Island?
Most Purple Martins have left Rhode Island by mid 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 Rhode Island?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in late July, on about 11% of Rhode Island checklists.