Baby purple martins: from egg to fledgling
A Purple Martin lays 3–6 eggs. They hatch after 15–18 days, and the young leave the nest 26–32 days later — about 41–50 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 3–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 15–18 days
- Time in the nest
- 26–32 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 41–50 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- In the East, nests almost entirely in human-supplied martin houses and gourds
- Uses nest boxes
- Yes — 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in) hole
Stage by stage
- Eggs (15–18 days): 3–6 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (26–32 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season purple martins mainly eat dragonflies, flies, beetles and moths, flying ants and wasps.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young purple martins are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When purple martins nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Florida (Mar) and latest in Alberta (Jun). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Apr–Jul |
| Alberta | Jun–Jul |
| Arizona | Apr–Jul |
| Arkansas | May–Jul |
| California | Apr–Jul |
| Connecticut | May–Jul |
| Delaware | May–Jul |
| Florida | Mar–Jul |
| Georgia | Apr–Jul |
| Illinois | May–Jul |
| Indiana | May–Jul |
| Iowa | May–Jul |
| Kansas | May–Jul |
| Kentucky | May–Jul |
| Louisiana | Apr–Jul |
| Maine | Jun–Jul |
| Manitoba | Jun–Jul |
| Maryland | May–Jul |
| Massachusetts | May–Jul |
| Michigan | May–Jul |
| Minnesota | May–Jul |
| Mississippi | Apr–Jul |
| Missouri | May–Jul |
| Nebraska | May–Jul |
| New Brunswick | Jun–Jul |
| New Hampshire | Jun–Jul |
| New Jersey | May–Jul |
| New York | May–Jul |
| North Carolina | Apr–Jul |
| North Dakota | Jun–Jul |
| Nova Scotia | Jun–Jul |
| Ohio | May–Jul |
| Oklahoma | May–Jul |
| Ontario | May–Jul |
| Oregon | May–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | May–Jul |
| Rhode Island | May–Jul |
| Saskatchewan | Jun–Jul |
| South Carolina | Apr–Jul |
| South Dakota | May–Jul |
| Tennessee | May–Jul |
| Texas | Mar–Jul |
| Vermont | Jun–Jul |
| Virginia | Apr–Jul |
| Washington | May–Jul |
| West Virginia | May–Jul |
| Wisconsin | Jun–Jul |
Found a baby Purple Martin?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about purple martins
Frequently asked
How long do baby purple martins stay in the nest?
About 26–32 days after hatching. Eggs take 15–18 days to hatch, so it is roughly 41–50 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Purple Martin lay?
3–6 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do purple martins nest?
In the East, nests almost entirely in human-supplied martin houses and gourds.
What should I do if I find a baby Purple Martin on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.