Purple Martins return to Nashville near Nissan Stadium

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – You might say that this story is for the birds!

It’s a phenomenon that is seen every summer in Nashville. Purple Martins are returning to their roost in Music City before making their annual trip to South America in the fall.

You are looking at what will become tens, to possibly hundreds of thousands of Purple Martins, settling in on trees just outside of the southwest end zone of Nissan Stadium.

The birds have been coming to Nashville every year since at least the 1990s and have made a roost somewhere near, or in, the downtown area during July and August.

They tend to move their roost slightly every three to five years. In fact, this year they have moved across the river to the East Bank.

For the last two years, Purple Martins roosted in trees just outside the Schermerhorn Center in downtown. As you might guess, this created quite a mess every night. As a result, the trees were replaced with a new species.

Apparently, the birds decided to move back across the river in 2024, picking out trees on the southwest corner of Nissan Stadium.

We’ve seen them every morning on the radar as they take off and fly around in a circle that expands as they head out to look for food during the daytime.

The birds then return at sunset to repeat the process the next day. Finally, towards the end of August, they will leave for their winter home in South America.