# Gray-breasted Martin

*Progne chalybea*

These birds are highly social and will band together to aggressively mob and chase away much larger predators, like hawks, to protect their colony.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Hirundinidae › Progne
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Towns, cities, agricultural clearings, and forest edges near water.
- **Diet:** Flying insects, including beetles, wasps, flies, and winged termites.
- **Range:** Mexico, Central America, South America, Trinidad and Tobago
- **Size:** Length: 18 cm, Wingspan: 38 cm, Weight: 40 g
- **Lifespan:** 4-6 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Widespread pesticide use reducing insect populations, and loss of nesting cavities.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe them from any distance as they forage high in the air. Avoid disturbing active nests under roofs or bridges. If you find a grounded chick, place it back in its nest if safe, or contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.

## About

The grey-breasted martin ( Progne chalybea ) is a large swallow from Central and South America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/169675d5-259f-4230-926b-66b653646eba
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/11872
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progne chalybea
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/172076738/medium.jpeg (Esteban Poveda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.