The purple martin 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.
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Select a tracking region above to ping the eBird database and reveal live hotspots for the Purple Martin.
Low-Light Telephoto Systems
Identifying specific features of the Purple Martin requires high-contrast magnification. Check out the top-rated 8x42 optics.
