Purple martins prefer open spaces that are situated close to any water source, as they are insectivores and are attracted to the large populations of insects near wetlands, swamps, and wet meadows. There have been some records of purple martin populations found in the British Isles, but these birds rarely migrate outside of the Americas. Concentrated populations have been found to winter in Bolivia and some provinces of Brazil. Their winter range has been recorded to be South American lowlands anywhere east of the Andes Mountains. Purple martins overwinter across most of South America including the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Purple martins breed across the eastern half of the United States, and also may be found along the Pacific coastline including the entire Baja Peninsula. The northern extent of the breeding range includes the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba. They are migratory birds that breed in North and Central America and overwinter in South America. Progne subis, commonly known as purple martins, inhabits the Nearctic region and can be found across North and South America.

Purple martin migration map