Purple Martin
Purple MartinPurple MartinPurple MartinPurple Martin

Purple Martin

Progne subis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Tikal National Park
11 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
13,727 Verified sightings across all 59 parks From 2019 to 2026
September 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 Tikal National Park

Gray-breasted Martin
LC

Gray-breasted Martin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Progne chalybea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
LC

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Barn Swallow
LC

Barn Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo rustica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mangrove Swallow
LC

Mangrove Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachycineta albilinea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cliff Swallow
LC

Cliff Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bank Swallow
LC

Bank Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Riparia riparia

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Tree Swallow
LC

Tree Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tachycineta bicolor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Brown Jay

Brown Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psilorhinus morio

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Montezuma Oropendola
LC

Montezuma Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius montezuma

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Melodious Blackbird
LC

Melodious Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dives dives

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Social Flycatcher
LC

Social Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Magnolia Warbler
LC

Magnolia Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga magnolia

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

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 Tikal National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Purple Martin sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

September has the highest sighting rate for Purple Martin in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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