Purple Martin

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Purple Martin in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Martin sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 4,294 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Purple Martin in Saguaro National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Purple Martin in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

Progne subis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
GenusProgne (New World Martins)
SpeciesProgne subis (Purple Martin)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Saguaro National Park

4,294 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026

13,727 Verified sightings across all 59 parks From 2019 to 2026

August Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Purple Martin

The purple martin (Progne subis) is a passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is the largest swallow in North America. Despite its name, the purple martin is not truly purple. The dark blackish-blue feathers have an iridescent sheen caused by the diffraction of incident light giving them a bright blue to navy blue or deep purple appearance. In some light, they may even appear green in color.

They are migratory, with their breeding range including all of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, as well as the coastal Pacific Northwest, Baja California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Most make a brief stopover in the Yucatán Peninsula or Cuba during pre-breeding migration to North America and during post-breeding migration before reaching their overwintering site in South America.

They are known for their speed, agility, and their characteristic mix of rapid, flapping, and gliding flight patterns. When approaching their nesting site, they will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked, just like the peregrine falcon does when hunting smaller birds.

In 1750 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Hirundo rustica

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tachycineta thalassina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tachycineta bicolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Riparia riparia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Auriparus flaviceps

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

LC Endemic

Haemorhous mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Spinus psaltria

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Melozone aberti

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Toxostoma curvirostre

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
2	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
3	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
4	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
5	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
6	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
7	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
8	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
9	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
10	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
11	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
12	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
13	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
14	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
15	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
16	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
18	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
20	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
21	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
22	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
23	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
25	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
26	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
27	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
28	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
29	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
30	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
31	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
32	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
34	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
35	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
36	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
37	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
38	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
39	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
40	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
41	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
42	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
43	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
44	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
45	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
46	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
47	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
48	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
49	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
50	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
51	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
52	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
53	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
54	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	Insufficient data
55	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
56	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
57	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
58	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
59	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Purple Martin in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Martin sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 4,294 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Purple Martin in Saguaro National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Purple Martin in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Saguaro National Park

Purple Martin

About the Purple Martin

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow

Bank Swallow

Verdin

House Finch

Lesser Goldfinch

Abert's Towhee

Vermilion Flycatcher

Curve-billed Thrasher

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers