Female Purple Martins (Male vs Female Identification)

Purple martins are relatively common in North America, but most populations are concentrated in the east and south.

These gregarious birds are the largest swallows in North America and are known for their agile flying abilities. Here is a guide for the female purple martin.

Purple martins are sexually dimorphic. Adult males are darker in color, with a characteristic dark blue metallic sheen that turns purple in certain light. Females have a darker crown and do have some blue sheen on the head and wings, but are dark brown overall with pale underparts.

While females look similar to other swallows, males are easily identifiable due to their darker plumage and striking metallic sheen. However, female purple swallows are much larger than other swallows, so they are easy to identify.

Of course, there’s still a lot to learn about these striking swallows – so read on to find out!

Closeup of a female purple martin perched

How do you know if a purple martin is a male or a female?

The easiest way to distinguish male and female purple martins is by plumage color. Males are mostly bluish-black all over, while females are more brown with a bluish top and back.

Male adult purple martins are a lustrous blue-black with a metallic sheen that appears purple in certain lighting. He is the blackest swallow in North America. The body and head are usually bluer than the wings and tail.

In contrast, females are predominantly brown, but have a bluish-black top and back with some metallic sheen, though not as dark as males. Their stories and wings are dark and their undersides are light beige brown.

Aside from her blue-black plumage and size, she’s even harder to distinguish from other swallows—because the purple martin is much larger than any other swallow in North America.

Purple Martin

female purple martin

What does a female purple martin look like?

Female purple swallows are large swallows with broad wings and short, forked tails. Their upper half is darker, including the blue-black head and back, but most of the wings are gray-black, lacking the blue luster of the males.

Their heads and necks are greyish gray, and their bellies are light gray/beige brown. They have thick, strong bodies and a short, pointed, slightly hooked beak.

Female purple martin perched outside her nest cavity

Are female Purple Martins larger than males?

Males and females are about the same size, measuring 7.5 to 7.9 inches (19 to 20 cm) long and weighing 1.6 to 2.1 ounces (45 to 60 grams). Their wingspan is 15.3 to 16.1 inches (39 to 41 cm).

Purple martin swallows are the largest swallows in the United States, so they are easy to tell apart, and their blue-black metallic sheen is best seen in males.

behavioral difference

breeding

At the start of the breeding season, males advertise their territory to females. Males will tend to fixate on a nesting cavity to advertise to females. Mating displays are poorly understood and involve males standing in various positions.

Females choose the mate with the best nesting cavity. Once paired, the male is extremely protective of his mate and will accompany her wherever she goes. Since then, most couples in society have been monogamous, but bigamy and extra couples are fairly common.

When it comes to building and lining the nest, the female does most of the assembly, while the male provides the materials. After laying eggs, the female spends most of her time incubating, but the male will be interested and visit the nest, and may sometimes take over.

Both females and females will feed their young, but the female may make up for this based on how often she travels to the den with food. Parental care ceases almost immediately once the wings are fully fledged, but flocks of chicks often stay close to the female until they become independent.

Nesting male and female purple martin outside the house

Territorial

Males are territorial and will defend their mates and their dens.

At the beginning of the year, the males will protect as many nests as possible—in some cases 30 or more. Then, as the season progresses, the males gradually give up their nesting sites to others. After all, he can’t be expected to maintain that many nesting sites – as many as he’d like to!

While male Purple Martins are more aggressive, both males and females will defend nests and chicks fiercely.

migrant

Single males tend to migrate first and arrive at wintering grounds before other birds. As a result, females may arrive weeks later than young males.

Mistress martin in flight, from below

call and voice

Purple martins have at least 10 or 11 calls and vocalizations. Additionally, there are several gender-specific purple martin calls, including:

• Autumn – Usually produced by adult females accompanying chicks.
• complain – Males often sing hoarse songs during courtship and breeding.
• to laugh – Similar to above, but for women.

Males sing loudly at the start of the breeding season to declare their territory and attract females. Paired males sing to defend their mates and to advertise ownership of nesting sites.

Can female purple martins raise offspring alone?

Female purple martins do most of the work of nest building, hatching, and feeding their chicks, but only a small part.

Overall, Purple Martin forms a generally strong partnership and shares responsibilities very well. Therefore, females are less likely to raise their young alone unless they are already close to the wing.

Female purple martin perched on a stick

Do female purple martins call?

Female amethysts sing and have some sex-specific songs, such as the laugh song they use to interact with males throughout the breeding season.female Autumn The phone seems to help her communicate with the chicks.

Can female purple martins sing?

Female purple martins don’t sing like the males, but they do have a special to laugh Songs that are typical throughout the breeding season. This song is used to communicate with men.

What color are the women’s Purple Martins?

Despite the name, neither the male nor the female purple martin are truly purple. Instead, they have a metallic bluish-black luster and are often purple in color.

Females are generally paler, lacking the blue-black plumage of males. They still retain some blue sheen on their backs and heads, but are mostly brown.