Grey-breasted Martin

Overview

The grey-breasted martin (Progne chalybea) is a large swallow found across Central and South America. It is a gregarious species currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adult males possess a glossy blue-black plumage with a grey-brown throat, breast, and sides that contrast with white lower underparts.
• The female is duller than the male with a paler throat, while juveniles exhibit dull brown upperparts.
• The bird measures 16–18 cm in length and features a forked tail with relatively broad wings.
• Its call is described as a gurgly chew-chew, similar to the Caribbean martin.

Habitat

The species breeds from Mexico through Central America south to central Brazil and on Trinidad, with southern populations extending to central Argentina. It utilises cavities in banks and buildings, or old woodpecker holes for nesting. The southern subspecies migrates north to Venezuela during the southern hemisphere's winter, while the nominate form undertakes local movements after the breeding season.

Diet

Grey-breasted martins hunt for insects in flight. They are gregarious birds that typically forage in groups.

Did you know?

The species was first described based on a specimen collected in Cayenne, French Guiana, by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760, where he referred to it as L'hirondelle de Cayenne.