Worldwide Birder

What Do Purple Martins Eat – The Complete Guide To Purple Martin Diets

Purple Martins are gorgeous swallows that can be found across much of North America. Many love to see them because of their attractive appearance, and there are plenty of people interested in attracting Purple Martins to their properties. However, before you can host these stunning swallows, you’ll have to know more about Purple Martin diets. What do Purple Martins eat?

If you want to know more about Purple Martin food, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to be discussing what Purple Martins like to eat and let birders know what they can do to entice these songbirds to visit their yards. Let’s learn about Purple Martin diets!

Table of Contents

What Do Purple Martins Eat?

Those who have hosted Purple Martins on their property have surely noticed that they don’t stop by bird feeders for a bite to eat when they’re feeling hungry. Moreover, Purple Martins are never seen eating foods off the ground or from trees, so what do Purple Martins eat?

Like their Barn Swallow relatives, Purple Martins eat an exclusive diet of insects that they catch in midair. Therefore, you will never see them feeding from bird feeders or perching to eat a meal. Instead, they are aerial insectivores that catch all of their meals on the wing!

This may make it sound as though Purple Martins have a limited diet, but this is far from the truth. Indeed, a Purple Martin diet consists of a wide array of different insects. Now that we have a general answer to the question, “What do Purple Martins eat?” we can take a look at some more specific examples. Fort starters, do Purple Martins eat mosquitoes?

Three Purple Martins perch together on a metal rod.
Purple Martins eat a variety of flying insects that they capture in midair.

Do Purple Martins Eat Mosquitoes?

Ahh, mosquitoes – those incessant buzzing insects that pester birds and humans alike to no end during much of spring through fall. Reducing the number of these insects can minimize the burden that people face during their peaks, so do Purple Martins eat mosquitoes?

Yes, Purple Martins absolutely eat mosquitoes! While this is encouraging news, many will be curious to know if Purple Martins only eat a few mosquitoes each day like hummingbirds or if they have a bigger appetite for mosquitoes. Therefore, do Purple Martins eat mosquitoes in large quantities – how many mosquitoes do Purple Martins eat?

Contrary to what many expect and hope from Purple Martins, it seems that they are similar to hummingbirds in their consumption of mosquitoes. Therefore, mosquitoes do not make up a large part of a Purple Martin diet.

Of course, manufacturers of Purple Martin birdhouses will want to promote these creatures as prolific mosquito eaters. Alas, in reality, studies have shown that mosquitoes are not commonly eaten by Purple Martins.

So, why is this? Mosquitoes are clearly an abundant food source, so why do Purple Martins eat mosquitoes in such small numbers? Well, a Purple Martin’s lack of mosquito consumption is not because they don’t enjoy eating these creatures. On the contrary, Purple Martins devour mosquitoes when given the chance.

However, Purple Martins do not often forage at an elevation where mosquitoes can be found. You see, Purple Martins forage higher than other North American swallows. In fact, they forage in areas that are too high for mosquitoes, as these insects prefer to stay near the ground so they can detect prey.

So, if not mosquitoes, then what do Purple Martins eat? Do Purple Martins eat honey bees?

A closeup of a female Purple Martin.
Purple Martins eat few mosquitoes, as these insects fly too low for them to frequently encounter.

Do Purple Martins Eat Honey Bees?

Alright, we now know that Purple Martins eat minimal amounts of mosquitoes at best. Therefore, we still have yet to discuss the specific insects that comprise large portions of Purple Martin diets. Many hope that honey bees are not on the menu because of the valuable services that they provide. So, what do Purple Martins eat if not mosquitoes – do Purple Martins eat honey bees?

Yes, Purple Martins do eat honey bees. Indeed, they generally eat far more honey bees than they do mosquitoes. I know, it’s unfortunate that the inverse cannot be true, but try considering the situation from the perspective of a Purple Martin. Bees present a much more substantial food item for Purple Martins to consume. Moreover, some bees fly much higher than mosquitoes, so they’re more likely to get snatched by a swallow flying through the sky.

Bees make up a considerable portion of Purple Martin diets in some areas, with certain studies finding that 10 – 15% of the biomass eaten by Purple Martins may be bees. Indeed, bees are a tremendous food source for parents to bring to Purple Martin nests, as they are a satiating meal for Purple Martin chicks.

Do Purple Martins Eat Wasps?

Since we know that Purple Martins consume bees, many would assume that they also consume wasps. However, such assumptions do not always prove true when it comes to bird diets. Let’s settle this – do Purple Martins eat wasps?

Some may not have been pleased to learn that Purple Martins eat honey bees, but don’t write off these birds just yet. You see, Purple Martins also happen to have quite an appetite for wasps, so this information may redeem Purple Martins in the eyes of many. Yes, Purple Martins will happily devour these antagonistic insects as they fly through the air. Overall, Purple Martins can easily consume more than a dozen wasps every day.

A colony of Purple Martins sits on their martin house.
Purple Martins love to devour insects such as wasps!

Do Purple Martins Eat Flies?

Flies are a pesky insect in the eyes of many, as they constantly buzz around and pester people. Therefore, few would feel any empathy for flies if they were to get devoured by something like a Purple Martin. So, how about it – do Purple Martins eat flies?

Yes, Purple Martins love to devour flies! Flies are among the favorite meals for these swallows to eat, as these insects commonly fly around elevations where Purple Martins forage. An assortment of different flies are Purple Martin food. For instance, they’ll eat crane flies, hoverflies, and house flies. Indeed, one study found that flies make up about 16% of a Purple Martin’s diet.

Do Purple Martins Eat Japanese Beetles?

Japanese beetles are a creature that is beloved by no one in North America. Since their arrival here more than 100 years ago, they have become established in much of the continent. Some are curious if the presence of Purple Martins can minimize Japanese beetle numbers. Is this a reasonable hope – do Purple Martins eat Japanese beetles?

Definitely – Purple Martins love to eat Japanese beetles! In fact, Japanese beetles are perhaps the favorite food of Purple Martins. At least, Scarabaeidae–the family to which Japanese beetles belong–is consistently among the highest percentage of prey items consumed by Purple Martins.

Therefore, it’s no secret that these beautiful swallows devour Japanese beetles. If a Purple Martin colony is present in your area, they may even be able to reduce the impact that Japanese beetles can inflict on plants, as Purple Martins may capture dozens of these invasive insects every day.

Do Purple Martins Eat Ticks?

Ticks are another example of a creature that has garnered minimal fanfare. In fact, most people despise ticks, and they’d be very happy if birds like Purple Martins consumed them. So, does such consumption occur – do Purple Martins eat ticks?

A closeup of a male Purple Martin perches on a metal rod.
Ticks are not on the menu for Purple Martins, as these bugs cannot fly!

No, Purple Martins do not eat ticks! But why – why don’t Purple Martins seem to eat any of the bugs that humans would want them to eat? Well, the reason that ticks are not part of a Purple Martin diet is quite obvious: ticks cannot fly (thank goodness!).

Remember, Purple Martins are aerial insectivores, meaning they eat bugs that are capable of flight. Ticks are found in the understories of forests and grasslands, so Purple Martins would not have access to these pesky bugs.

Do Purple Martins Eat Dragonflies?

Dragonflies are another group of insects that share the air with Purple Martins. They are bigger than most other flying insects, so humans are also quite familiar with seeing dragonflies flying around. So, do Purple Martins eat dragonflies?

Yes, Purple Martins certainly eat dragonflies! These large insects are filling meals for an adult or baby Purple Martin, so these swallows love to target them. Dragonflies are better fliers than the other bugs on this list, but they are still no match for the incredible acrobatics that Purple Martins display when in flight.

Purple Martins struggle to take prey much bigger than dragonflies, with cicadas being insects on the very upper limits of Purple Martin prey size. 

What Do Purple Martins Eat In Winter?

Those who have read this article up to this point should now have a good idea of what’s on the menu for Purple Martins during the breeding season, but what do they do come winter? What do Purple Martins eat in winter?

Well, the diets of Purple Martins change very little during winter because these impressive swallows migrate all the way to South America! This allows them to continue eating insects, and although the types of insects that they eat may change, they remain steadfast in their consumption of insects.