Desert Purple Martins in Southeast Arizona

Have you ever seen a Purple Martin in Southeast Arizona? These charismatic, large swallows are a beloved and iconic nestbox species in the eastern half of the United States, but if you know where to look they can be found here as well. The Desert Purple Martin (Progne subis hesperia) is a distinct subspecies that times its nesting to monsoon abundance and nests almost exclusively in saguaros or other large columnar cacti. These are “wild” martins that use naturally occurring cavities, while the eastern subspecies is said to be entirely reliant on human-made nestboxes. Desert Purple Martins are extremely understudied with large gaps in knowledge about their nesting, migration, and wintering grounds.

Tucson Audubon has launched a study on these fascinating birds—The Desert Purple Martin Project—and you can participate!

Have you seen Desert Purple Martins nesting in a saguaro or have you seen a group gathering in the evening to roost in a tree? You can report what you have observed HERE and contribute data to our project.