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Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis Golondrina de Iglesias,
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Photo: G. Beaton
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Caribbean Martin Progne dominicensis Golondrina de Iglesias,
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Photo: G. Beaton
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IDENTIFICATION: A large swallow with a forked tail. The male is dark iridescent blue with a white belly. The female has a smoky brown breast. Length: 17-20 cm.; weight: 42 g. VOICE: A low-pitched, twangy note, often given in flight. Audio (M. Oberle). HABITAT: Towns and open country, often near water. HABITS: Perches on wires or branches to rest, but is often seen flying at variable heights over fields, pastures and towns, foraging for spiders and insects (flies, wasps, stinkbugs, dragonflies, termites, and beetles). It nests in single pairs or small colonies in old woodpecker holes or other cavities in palms, trees, cliffs, or buildings---even traffic lights. Thirty pairs were once recorded nesting in crevices in one chimney in Quebradillas. There are 4-6 white eggs in a clutch. STATUS AND CONSERVATION: A common resident for much of the year in Puerto Rico. Most martins leave Puerto Rico from late September through December when they migrate to an unknown winter home, presumably in South America. The martin has probably benefited from nest sites that human construction offers. This species competes for nest boxes with the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird. Wildlife biologists often put up extra nest boxes near blackbird nesting colonies to lure martins away from blackbird nest boxes. RANGE: Nests on most Caribbean islands south to Tobago. Regularly nests on many churches such as at San Germán and Rio Piedras. TAXONOMY: PASSERIFORMES; HIRUNDINIDAE; Hirundininae. Some texts refer to this species as the Snowy-bellied Martin or lump this species with the Purple Martin (Progne subis) of North America. A closely related species, the Sinaloa Martin (Progne sinaloae) breeds in the highlands of western Mexico. |
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Immature - Photo: R. Rodrφguez Mojica
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References Arendt, W.J. 1992. Status of North American migrant landbirds in the Caribbean region: a summary. Pp. 143-171 in Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds (J.M. Hagan III and D.W. Johnston, eds.) Smithsonian Instit. Press, Washington, D.C. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton. Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Ridgely, R.S. and Tudor, G. 1989. The birds of South America: the oscine passerines. Univ. Texas Press, Austin. Turner, A. and C. Rose. 1989. Swallows & martins: an identification guide and handbook. Houghton, Mifflin, Boston. Caribbean Martin, Spanish text Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |