Southern Martin (Progne elegans)

Identification & Behavior: ~19 cm (7.4 in). The Male Southern Martin is glossy blue-black with some feathers fringed with brown on the underparts. The female is blackish above and dark brown below with black scaling on the belly. The juvenile is similar to the female. It forages high above forested areas in Amazonia where it occurs as an Austral migrant. It is very similar to the male Purple Martin and very difficult to separate with certainty in the field. The male Southern Martin shows feathers fringed with brown on the belly. The female has the belly scaled with black.

Status: The Southern Martin is an Austral migrant expected in the Peruvian Amazon during the months of April through October. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Martín Sureño.

Sub-species: Southern Martin (Progne elegans), S. F. Baird, 1865.

Meaning of Name: Progne: Gr.Progne or Procne= daughter of King Pandion of Athens and wife to King Tereus of Thrace. elegans: L. elegans, elegantis= elegant, fine.

See more of the Family Hirundinidae