Alternative name: White-bellied Martin
- Progne sinaloae
Identification
17-18 cm.
- Mostly glossy steel-blue plumage, blacker wings and tail
- White lower breast, abdomen and undertail-coverts, latter with indistinct dark shaft streaks
- Forked tail
Females are duller, sometimes with mottled grey-brown upperparts and with dusky-brown face, throat, breast and flanks. Juveniles undescribed.
Similar species
Has greater contrast between dark and white areas below than Grey-breasted Martin.
Distribution
Breeds in western Mexico (northeast Sonora south to Jalisco, Michoacán and Guerrero).
Winters probably in South America. An uncommon to rare and poorly known species.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Sometimes considered conspecific with Purple Martin, Caribbean Martin or Cuban Martin. Has been known to hybridize with Grey-breasted Martin.
Habitat
Moist pine-oak forest and semi-open habitat. Occurs up to 2000 m.
Might be separated altitudinally from Purple Martin.
Behaviour
Diet
No information, probably similar to that of other Martins,
Breeding
Breeding season from March to August. Nests in holes, probably mainly in trees. Often seen in small groups.
Movements
A migratory species. Seen on migration in Guatemala and on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Non-breeding range unknown, most probably in South America.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Sinaloa Martin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sinaloa_Martin
