WhenToBird

Purple Martin · Progne subis

When Do Purple Martins Arrive in Wisconsin?

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

Purple Martins reach Wisconsin in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in early August (7.9% 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 7.9% of Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Purple MartinApr 8-14Apr 15-21Aug 1-7Aug 22-317.9%
0%5%10%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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

Best counties for Purple Martin

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Calumet CountyBest the second week of May · 959 checklists that week, 12,359 in all31%
  2. Marquette CountyBest early August · 73 checklists that week, 3,706 in all27%
  3. Winnebago CountyBest late July · 529 checklists that week, 26,460 in all27%
  4. Dodge CountyBest late July · 863 checklists that week, 34,980 in all25%
  5. Brown CountyBest the second week of August · 542 checklists that week, 36,306 in all24%
  6. Walworth CountyBest late July · 209 checklists that week, 8,639 in all18%

Common questions

When do purple martins arrive in Wisconsin?
Purple Martins reach Wisconsin in the second week of April, are common by mid April, peak in early August (7.9% of checklists), and most are gone by late August.
When do purple martins leave Wisconsin?
Most Purple Martins have left Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
The Purple Martin is reported most often in early August, on about 7.9% of Wisconsin checklists.