The grey-breasted martin (Progne chalybea) is a large swallow from Central and South America. Taxonomy and etymology The subspecies and their distributions are: P. c. chalybea – (Gmelin, 1789): nominate, breeds from Mexico through Central America south to central Brazil, and on Trinidad P. c. warneri – Phillips, A.R., 1986: found in western Mexico P. c. macrorhamphus – Brooke, 1974: breeds further south in South America to central Argentina The southern subspecies migrates north as far as Venezuela during the southern hemisphere's winter, and the nominate form also undertakes local movements after the breeding season. Description Adult grey-breasted martins are in length, with a forked tail and relatively broad wings, and weigh . Adult males are a glossy blue-black with the grey-brown throat, breast and sides contrasting with the white lower underparts. Females are duller than the male, and juveniles have dull brown upperparts. Behaviour Breeding The grey-breasted martin nests in cavities in banks and buildings, or old woodpecker holes. Normally, two to four eggs are laid in the lined nest, and incubated for 15–16 days, with another 22 days to fledging. Diet Grey-breasted martins are gregarious birds that hunt for insects in flight. Their call is a gurgly chew-chew, similar to that of the closely related Caribbean martin. The latter species is slightly larger, and has more contrasting underparts. References Further reading External links grey-breasted martin Birds of Central America Birds of South America grey-breasted martin grey-breasted martin