Purple Martin

Progne subis

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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About the Purple Martin

The purple martin (Progne subis) is a passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is the largest swallow in North America. They breed across the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, as well as the coastal Pacific Northwest, Baja California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Most make a brief stopover in the Yucatán Peninsula or Cuba during pre-breeding migration to North America and during post-breeding migration before reaching their overwintering sites in South America. They are known for their speed, agility, and their characteristic mix of rapid, flapping, and gliding flight patterns. When approaching their nesting site, they will dive from the sky at great speeds with their wings tucked, just like the peregrine falcon does when hunting smaller birds.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Progne subis
Family: Swallows
Order: Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the swallows family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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