Brown-Chested Martin
Progne tapera
About This Species
A plain brown swallow of open country in South America, often seen perched in loose groups on wires, fence posts or dead branches near rivers, marshes or grassland before making low, agile sallies after flying insects. It lacks the bright colours of many swallows, so structure and flight style, rather than plumage, are the best field marks. Open habitats near water in the warmer months offer the most consistent sightings.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Approach perched birds slowly and stay far enough away that the group does not flush as a unit, since repeated flushing wastes energy the birds need for feeding and, during breeding season, for provisioning young.
- Bird protection law varies across the South American countries within its range, so treat any nest site, which is often a burrow or cavity, with general caution rather than assuming specific legal protections.
- Watching from a stationary position near a wire or fence line is the most productive approach.
LCAvesPasseriformesHirundinidae
Seasonal Activity
193,135 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
Photo
(c) Paul Cools, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Cools
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.