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− | [[Image:Purple_Martin.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male<br />Photo by {{user|HelenB|HelenB}} <br/>Houston, [[Texas]], [[USA]]]] | + | [[Image:Purple_Martin.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male<br />Photo © by {{user|HelenB|HelenB}} <br/>Houston, [[Texas]], [[USA]]]] |
;[[:Category:Progne|Progne]] subis | ;[[:Category:Progne|Progne]] subis | ||
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Females and Juveniles are duller, with grey underparts. It takes 2 years for these birds to attain full adult breeding plumage. This can make it difficult to identify the birds. | Females and Juveniles are duller, with grey underparts. It takes 2 years for these birds to attain full adult breeding plumage. This can make it difficult to identify the birds. | ||
====Flight==== | ====Flight==== | ||
− | [[Image:Purple Martin Progne subis subis male McAllen Nature Center.jpg|thumb|350px|right|First Summer male<br />Photo by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />McAllen Nature Center, McAllen, Hidalgo County, [[Texas]], [[USA]], April 2017 ]] | + | [[Image:Purple Martin Progne subis subis male McAllen Nature Center.jpg|thumb|350px|right|First Summer male<br />Photo © by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />McAllen Nature Center, McAllen, Hidalgo County, [[Texas]], [[USA]], April 2017 ]] |
Overhead is similar in shape to the [[European Starling]], but flight more buoyant and gliding. | Overhead is similar in shape to the [[European Starling]], but flight more buoyant and gliding. | ||
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
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==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
====Subspecies==== | ====Subspecies==== | ||
− | [[Image:Purple Martin 2016-30.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Likely a female<br />Photo by {{user|Hughv|Hughv}}<br />College Park, [[Maryland]], May 2016]] | + | [[Image:Purple Martin 2016-30.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Likely a female<br />Photo © by {{user|Hughv|Hughv}}<br />College Park, [[Maryland]], May 2016]] |
This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#P|polytypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup> consisting of three subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>: | This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#P|polytypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup> consisting of three subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>: | ||
*''P. s. subis'' - much of eastern 3/4 [[North America]] from [[Canada]] to [[Mexico]], winters in Amazonian [[Brazil]] | *''P. s. subis'' - much of eastern 3/4 [[North America]] from [[Canada]] to [[Mexico]], winters in Amazonian [[Brazil]] |
Revision as of 04:13, 28 July 2019
- Progne subis
Identification
7-8 1/2" (18-22 cm).
The adult male is a dark steel-blue.
Females and Juveniles are duller, with grey underparts. It takes 2 years for these birds to attain full adult breeding plumage. This can make it difficult to identify the birds.
Flight
Overhead is similar in shape to the European Starling, but flight more buoyant and gliding.
Distribution
Breeds from British Columbia, central interior Canada, and Nova Scotia, south to Mexico, but absent from interior western mountains and Great Basin..
Winters in tropics. Migrates south to Brazil. Common in the state of São Paulo.
Accidental vagrant to the UK and to Argentina.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species[1] consisting of three subspecies[1]:
- P. s. subis - much of eastern 3/4 North America from Canada to Mexico, winters in Amazonian Brazil
- P. s. arboricola - western North America, winters in Atlantic South East Brazil
- P. s. hesperia - Arizona and western Mexico, winters in South America
Habitat
Forest edges, open woodlands, residential areas, and agricultural land. Often near water.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists almost entirely of air-borne insects, particularly ants, wasps and bees.
Breeding
Their nest is made of grass and plant material placed in a tree cavity. The clutch consists of 4-5 white eggs.
They readily use nest boxes.
Vocalisation
The call is tchew-wew, or pew pew.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2017)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Purple Martin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Purple_Martin