WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in South Dakota?

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

Purple Martins reach South Dakota in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in early August (6.2% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 8-14the second week of April
Common byApr 15-21mid April
PeakAug 1-7early August
Most gone byAug 22-31late August

Best: early August. First arrivals the second week of April; most are gone by late August. Peak: on about 6.2% of South Dakota checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marnot usually seen
  4. Aprcommon
  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 South Dakota, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 8-14Apr 15-21Aug 1-7Aug 22-316.2%
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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Douglas CountyBest mid July · 56 checklists that week, 3,141 in all57%
  2. Lake CountyBest the second week of July · 19 checklists that week, 653 in all36%
  3. Grant CountyBest late May · 24 checklists that week, 414 in all27%
  4. Marshall CountyBest the second week of July · 34 checklists that week, 760 in all24%
  5. Day CountyBest late June · 33 checklists that week, 794 in all24%
  6. McCook CountyBest late July · 13 checklists that week, 406 in all20%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in South Dakota?
Purple Martins reach South Dakota in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in early August (6.2% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.
When do purple martins leave South Dakota?
Most Purple Martins have left South Dakota 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 South Dakota?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in early August, on about 6.2% of South Dakota checklists.