WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in West Virginia?

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

Purple Martins reach West Virginia in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in mid July (6.4% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.

When to look

First arrivalsApr 8-14the second week of April
Common byApr 15-21mid April
PeakJul 15-21mid July
Most gone byAug 8-14the second week of August

Best: mid July. First arrivals the second week of April; most are gone by the second week of August. Peak: on about 6.4% of West Virginia checklists.

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

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 8-14Apr 15-21Jul 15-21Aug 8-146.4%
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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Wood CountyBest early July · 127 checklists that week, 8,802 in all33%
  2. Putnam CountyBest early July · 40 checklists that week, 2,400 in all33%
  3. Kanawha CountyBest the second week of July · 200 checklists that week, 12,108 in all28%
  4. Wetzel CountyBest mid July · 10 checklists that week, 1,196 in all24%
  5. Jackson CountyBest late June · 35 checklists that week, 1,317 in all21%
  6. Mason CountyBest late July · 43 checklists that week, 2,835 in all19%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in West Virginia?
Purple Martins reach West Virginia in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in mid July (6.4% of checklists), and most are gone by the second week of August.
When do purple martins leave West Virginia?
Most Purple Martins have left West Virginia by the second week of August, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late August.
When is the best time to see purple martins in West Virginia?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in mid July, on about 6.4% of West Virginia checklists.