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Grey-breasted Martin | Progne chalybea
Grijsborstpurperzwaluw | Golondrina acerada | Andorinha-grande
The Grey-breasted Martin is the commonest martin of the tropical lowlands and readily lives close to people. Pairs and small groups perch on wires, roofs and dead trees in villages and towns and along rivers. In addition to the resident birds, migrants from the south of the continent move into the guide area during the austral winter.
Voice
A rich, gurgling twitter, often from a perch in the early morning; the call is a warm, short tcheew.
Recording: Jacob Wijpkema — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
16–18 cm, a sturdy swallow with broad wings and a slightly forked tail. The male is glossy steel-blue above, with a greyish-brown throat, breast and flanks and a white belly and undertail coverts. The female is duller above and slightly darker greyish brown below. Juveniles are browner above, with little gloss. The sexes are otherwise alike.
Confusion species
Brown-chested Martin Progne tapera is brown above without a blue gloss and has a white throat with a brown breast band. The female Purple Martin Progne subis has a grey collar and a streaked belly. Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis is possible as a vagrant; the male has a glossy dark breast, and the female is nearly identical. White-winged Swallow Tachycineta albiventer and other smaller swallows are entirely white below.
Habitat
Villages, towns, open country with scattered trees, pastures, forest edges and the banks of rivers and lakes in the lowlands and lower foothills, mostly below 1500 m, locally higher. It hunts flying insects in the air, often in small groups. It nests in cavities in buildings, dead trees, banks and nest boxes, sometimes in loose colonies.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia widespread in the lowlands, including the Magdalena and Cauca valleys. In Ecuador in the western and eastern lowlands. In Peru in Amazonia and in the north-west. In Bolivia in the lowlands. Absent from the Galápagos. Outside the guide area from Mexico to Argentina; southern birds migrate north in the austral winter.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In lowland villages and river towns check wires, roofs and church towers; especially in the early morning pairs sing there.
Conservation status
Least Concern. The species benefits from buildings and open landscapes and is common over most of its range.
Scientific name
Progne chalybea | (Gmelin, 1789)
Gmelin described the species in 1789 as Hirundo chalybea; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Progne was introduced in 1826 by Boie. The genus name refers to Procne (Greek Proknē), a queen in Greek mythology who was turned into a swallow. Latin chalybeus means 'steel-blue' (from Greek khalups, 'steel'), after the glossy blue upperparts. The specimen the first description was based on came from Cayenne, French Guiana.