Brown-chested Martin (Progne tapera)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Hirundinidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

brown-chested_martin
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Loreto|Madre de Dios

brown-chested_martin
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Southern Brazil

brown-chested_martin
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lambayeque, Peru

brown-chested_martin
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonia, Brazil


Identification & Behavior: ~17 cm (6.6 in). The Brown-chested Martin has brown upperparts and tail. The throat and breast are brown and grades to lighter brown and whitish towards the rest of the underparts (tapera). The Austral migrant fusca has a whitish throat, a better defined brown breast, and a distinctive median stripe on the breast. It is almost always associated with rivers or other water courses. It has a distinctive gliding with bowed wings and dropping tail. It is similar to the Gray-breasted Martin but is distinguished by brown upperparts and lighter brown underparts without a contrasting blackish and pale breast in the Gray-breasted Martin.

Status: The Brown-chested Martin is common and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1260 m along the foothill of the Andes. The Austral migrant fusca is expected in Peru during the months of April through October. It also occurs in the humid semi-deciduous forest of extreme northwest Peru in Tumbes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Martín de Pecho Pardo.

Sub-species: Brown-chested Martin (Progne tapera tapera), (Linnaeus), 1766.  N South America from Caribbean coast and Trinidad S, E of Andes, to Amazonian & NE Brazil, also W of Andes in SW Ecuador (S from Guayas) and NW Peru (Tumbes).
(Progne tapera fusca), (Vieillot), 1817.  breeds SE Bolivia and S & E Brazil S to C Argentina (Mendoza, La Pampa, Buenos Aires) and Uruguay; migrates N to N South America and Panama.

Meaning of Name: Progne: Gr.Progne or Procne= daughter of King Pandion of Athens and wife to King Tereus of Thrace. tapera: Tupí name Taperá home living (bird), for a sort of swallow.

See more of the Family Hirundinidae peru aves

Distribution Map
brown-chested_martinVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 03/01/2016.