The Purple Martin ( Progne subis) is North America's largest swallow at 8 inches. The male is a dark, shiny grey blue, the
female is a dull blue grey with lighter grey below. The body is slender, wings long and the tail forked. Young males resemble females until their second breeding season.
These birds prefer open woodlands and areas near lakes or marshes. They are superb flyers. They breed in much of the United States but are generally not found in the western mountains or Great Basin. They winter in the tropics. They are also found in much of southern Canada during the breeding season.
Martins generally nest in colonies. These are cavity nesters and will choose a hole in a tree, opening in a cliff or a martin house that offers many compartments. Sometimes site competition can be fierce and male martins will fight over a room.
The nest is built by both male and female martins. They will use twigs, leaves, mud and sometimes feathers. One clutch of 4 to 5 white eggs is produced each season . The eggs hatch in from 15 to 18 days. The young fledge in about one month.
Martins feed on insects, and they seem to prefer the larger variety such as dragonflies, moths and butterflies, deer flies and horse flies. Average lifespan is four to five years but an eight-year-old has been recorded.
