Peruvian Martin
Progne murphyi
The Peruvian Martin (Progne murphyi) is a legendary swallow found in 2 countries, weighing about 41 g. The Peruvian martin is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins.
About the Peruvian Martin
The Peruvian martin is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. It is found in primarily in Peru and far northern Chile with some records in Colombia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Peruvian martin is 16.5 to 17 cm (6.5 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 30 to 37 g (1.1 to 1.3 oz). The sexes are dimorphic. Adult males have a glossy blue-black head and upperparts. Their tail is slightly forked; it and their wings are fuscous-black with a slight bluish sheen on their coverts. Their underparts are somewhat bluer and duller than their upperparts with fuscous-black undertail coverts. Females have a mouse-gray head with black lores. Their upperparts are mouse-gray with a shiny steel-blue band across the middle of the back and the scapulars and blue-black tips on some rump feathers. Voice: As of January 2026 xeno-canto had a single recording of Peruvian martin vocalizations; the Cornell Lab's Macaulay Library had five others. The vocalizations have not been put into words.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Peruvian Martin can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Peruvian Martin?
- The Peruvian martin is 16.5 to 17 cm (6.5 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 30 to 37 g (1.1 to 1.3 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Peruvian Martin?
- The Peruvian Martin is a small sized bird weighing about 41 g.
- Where can you see a Peruvian Martin?
- The Peruvian Martin occurs in 2 countries, including Peru and Chile.
- What birds look similar to a Peruvian Martin?
- The Peruvian Martin is most easily confused with the Sinaloa Martin, the Galapagos Martin and the Cuban Martin.
- Is the Peruvian Martin endangered?
- The Peruvian Martin is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Peruvian Martin for real
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