Cuban martin

Cuban martin
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Hirundinidae
Genus:	Progne
Species:	P. cryptoleuca
Binomial name
Progne cryptoleuca (Gmelin, 1789)

The Cuban martin (Progne cryptoleuca) is a large swallow endemic to Cuba.

It is closely related to the Caribbean martin, P. dominicensis which breeds on Caribbean islands from Jamaica east to Tobago, and the P. d. sinaloae (Sinaloa martin) from Mexico.

It has at various times been considered alternatively as a race of the purple martin, Progne subis.

Adult Cuban martins are 18.5 cm in length, with a forked tail and relatively broad wings, and weigh 40 g. Adult males are a glossy blue-black with contrasting white lower underparts. Females and juveniles are duller than the male, with grey-brown breast and flanks and white lower underparts.

The Cuban martin nests in cavities in banks and buildings, or old woodpecker holes. 3-6 eggs are laid in the lined nest, and incubated for 15 days, with another 26-27 to fledging. Just as the purple martin, this species may compete with other passerines for nesting cavities. In particular, the main foe is the house sparrow in urban areas, where they mostly use man-made structures, whereas in more rural locations Picidae holes in coconut trees are favored, and there is less competition with the sparrows.

Cuban martins are gregarious birds which hunt for insects in flight. Their call is a gurgly chew-chew.

References

• American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) (2010): 7th American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 127(3): 726–744. Digital Object Identifier:10.1525/auk.2010.127.3.726

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/auk.2010.127.3.726

• Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at [1]. Accessed January 15, 2011.