WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Washington?

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

Purple Martins reach Washington in mid April, are common by late April, peak in the second week of August (9.7% of checklists), and most are gone by early September.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 15-21mid April
Common byApr 22-30late April
PeakAug 8-14the second week of August
Most gone bySep 1-7early September

Best: the second week of August. First arrivals mid April; most are gone by early September. Peak: on about 9.7% of Washington 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 Washington, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 15-21Apr 22-30Aug 8-14Sep 1-79.7%
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 Washington 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 Washington

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Wahkiakum CountyBest early August · 77 checklists that week, 5,618 in all55%
  2. Clark CountyBest the second week of August · 757 checklists that week, 53,250 in all24%
  3. Thurston CountyBest the second week of August · 1061 checklists that week, 68,352 in all21%
  4. Jefferson CountyBest the second week of August · 1494 checklists that week, 59,663 in all18%
  5. Cowlitz CountyBest the second week of August · 279 checklists that week, 15,273 in all18%
  6. Pacific CountyBest mid August · 450 checklists that week, 19,516 in all17%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Washington?
Purple Martins reach Washington in mid April, are common by late April, peak in the second week of August (9.7% of checklists), and most are gone by early September.
When do purple martins leave Washington?
Most Purple Martins have left Washington 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 Washington?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in the second week of August, on about 9.7% of Washington checklists.