Home › R › Range (North America north)

Range (North America north)

North America, north to Newfoundland and the Saskatchewan; breeds throughout its range; winters in Central and South America. Washington, rather common S. R., Apl. 12 to Sept. 5. Sing Sing, tolerably common S. R., Apl. 27 to Sept. 11. Cambridge, locally common S. R., Apl. 20 to Aug. 25.

Nest, of straws, twigs, etc., in houses or gourds erected for the purpose. Eggs, four to five, white, 1.00 × 73.

The Purple Martin is very common throughout the south, and breeds wherever gourds or boxes are erected for its occupation. In the Northern States it is a comparatively rare bird of local distribution, and is apparently decreasing in numbers each year. In Forest and Stream, vol. xxii, 1884, p. 484, Mr. Otto Widmann, of Old Orchard. Missouri, presents an interesting table showing how often young Martins are fed. He watched a colony of sixteen pairs of birds from 4 A. M. to 8 P. M., during which time the parents visited their offspring 3,277 times, or an average of 205 times for each pair. The males made 1,454, the females 1,823 visits. 611.1. Progne cryptoleuca Baird. CUBAN MARTIN. Ad. 8.- "Similar to P. subis, but feathers of ventral region marked beneath surface, with a broad spot or bar of white." Ad. 2 and im. 6.-Similar to those of SWALLOWS.

P. subis, but "whole under portion and sides of head and neck, chest, sides, and flanks uniform sooty grayish brown, in marked contrast with pure white of belly, anal region, and under tail-coverts. L., 7.60; W., 5.50; T., 3.10" (Ridgw.).