WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Tennessee?

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

Purple Martins reach Tennessee in early March, are common by mid March, peak in the second week of July (13% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 1-7early March
Common byMar 15-21mid March
PeakJul 8-14the second week of July
Most gone byAug 15-21mid August

Best: the second week of July. First arrivals early March; most are gone by mid August. Peak: on about 13% of Tennessee checklists.

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

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinMar 1-7Mar 15-21Jul 8-14Aug 15-2113%
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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Perry CountyBest late June · 71 checklists that week, 3,047 in all85%
  2. Haywood CountyBest mid July · 40 checklists that week, 1,498 in all66%
  3. Humphreys CountyBest the second week of July · 90 checklists that week, 5,858 in all45%
  4. Henry CountyBest mid June · 72 checklists that week, 5,668 in all43%
  5. Lake CountyBest late July · 31 checklists that week, 5,235 in all40%
  6. Trousdale CountyBest early July · 12 checklists that week, 224 in all40%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Tennessee?
Purple Martins reach Tennessee in early March, are common by mid March, peak in the second week of July (13% of checklists), and most are gone by mid August.
When do purple martins leave Tennessee?
Most Purple Martins have left Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in the second week of July, on about 13% of Tennessee checklists.