# Brown-chested Martin

*Progne tapera*

Unlike many other martins, they do not excavate tunnels or build mud nests; instead, they frequently usurp the heavy, dome-shaped clay nests built by the Rufous Hornero.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Hirundinidae › Progne
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Open grasslands, savannahs, agricultural fields, pastures, and freshwater margins.
- **Diet:** Aerial insects, including beetles, flies, winged ants, and termites.
- **Range:** South America, Central America, Caribbean
- **Size:** Length: 17-18 cm, Wingspan: 35-38 cm, Weight: 30-40 g
- **Lifespan:** 4 to 6 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use reducing insect prey abundance, and localized habitat loss.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Safe to observe from any distance. Maintain a respectful distance from active nesting sites, particularly when they are utilizing the mud nests of other birds. If you find an injured martin, contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

## About

The brown-chested martin ( Progne tapera ) is a species of passerine bird in the swallow family.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5dbcda13-17ff-467f-b8ae-459b8d137d02
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/11870
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progne tapera
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/48795355/medium.jpeg (Millie Basden, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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