Southern Martin
Progne elegans Baird, SF, 1865
17–20 cmLength51 gWeight
The southern martin (Progne elegans) is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins.
Busiest months: October · Most records: Argentina, Bolivia, Peru
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: October · Most records: Argentina, Bolivia, Peru
Southern Martin has been recorded at 116 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Casa ApachetaArgentina474 records
- Mar Chiquita – MiramarArgentina248 records
- Parque del BicentenarioArgentina230 records
More places
- Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurArgentina195 records
- Reserva Natural Estricta Quebrada de Las Higueritas RNQHArgentina167 records
- Córdoba – Parque SarmientoArgentina166 records
- ANP Paso CórdobaArgentina165 records
- Reserva Gral. San MartínArgentina131 records
- Red-fronted Macaw ReserveBolivia130 records
- Mar Chiquita – Lomas de los IndiosArgentina129 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The southern martin (Progne elegans) is a species of bird in the family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. One source states that it is known in every mainland South American country except Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela, and there are undocumented sight records in those three countries.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Southern Martin?
The Southern Martin is about 17–20 cm long and weighs around 51 g.
Where does the Southern Martin live?
Its breeding range: South America: widespread. It is most often recorded in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
When is the best time to see the Southern Martin?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Southern Martin endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Southern Martin as Least Concern.
What does the Southern Martin eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Southern Martin in?
It belongs to the family Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 17–20 cm
- Weight
- 51 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 142 mm
- Tail
- 79 mm
- Bill
- 17 mm
- Tarsus
- 14 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Swallows, Martins Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Progne
Other birds in the genus Progne
Brown-chested MartinProgne tapera
Peruvian MartinProgne murphyi
Galapagos MartinProgne modesta
Purple MartinProgne subis
Grey-breasted MartinProgne chalybea
Sinaloa MartinProgne sinaloae
Cuban MartinProgne cryptoleuca
Caribbean MartinProgne dominicensis
African River MartinPseudochelidon eurystomina
White-eyed River MartinPseudochelidon sirintarae
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Edgar Romeo. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.