Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Cuban Martin

Progne cryptoleuca

The Cuban martin (Progne cryptoleuca) is a strikingly large swallow, native to the island of Cuba. With a length of 18.5 cm and a weight of around 40 grams, it boasts a forked tail and relatively broad wings. The adult males are particularly resplendent, cloaked in a glossy blue-black plumage with a stark contrast provided by their white lower underparts. Females and juveniles, while still impressive, present a more subdued appearance with grey-brown breasts and flanks, complemented by white lower underparts.

Identification Tips

Distinguishing the adult male Cuban martin from its close relative, the adult male Caribbean martin, is a matter of observing the belly; the Cuban counterpart lacks the prominent white patch found on the Caribbean martin. However, females and immature birds of both species are more challenging to differentiate. When comparing the Cuban martin to the Purple martin, adult males are nearly indistinguishable in the field, while the scaly breast pattern of adult female and immature Purple martins can serve as a distinguishing feature.

Habitat

The Cuban martin is known to nest in a variety of cavities, whether they be in banks, buildings, or repurposed woodpecker holes. In urban areas, they often utilize man-made structures, while in rural settings, they may prefer holes in coconut trees.

Distribution

Endemic to Cuba and Isla de la Juventud, the Cuban martin is a non-migratory species, unlike the migratory Purple and Caribbean martins that only visit the Cuban martin's range during the winter months. There have been rare reports of vagrant Cuban martins in Florida.

Behaviour

These gregarious birds are often seen hunting insects in flight, sometimes forming large flocks that can number up to 20 individuals. They may also join mixed-species flocks. In urban areas, they face competition for nesting cavities from house sparrows, while in rural locales, this competition is less pronounced.

Song & Calls

The Cuban martin communicates with a distinctive gurgly "chew-chew" call, which can be heard during their aerial insect hunts or while perched in their communal roosts.

Breeding

The breeding habits of the Cuban martin involve laying a clutch of 3-6 eggs in a lined nest within their chosen cavity. These eggs are incubated for approximately 15 days, followed by a fledging period of 26-27 days.

Similar Species

The Cuban martin is similar in appearance to the Caribbean martin and the Purple martin, with the latter being nearly identical in adult males, and distinguishable by the scaly breast pattern in females and immatures.

Diet and Feeding

Insectivorous by nature, the Cuban martin captures its prey on the wing, demonstrating remarkable aerial agility as it feeds on flying insects.

Conservation status

The Cuban martin is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that, at present, there are no immediate threats to its population numbers that would warrant a higher level of concern.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Cuban Martins on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Alejandro López
Alejandro López
01 May 2024 - 6:23pm
Cuba

More Swallows, Martins

A photo of a Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica)

Lesser Striped Swallow

Cecropis abyssinica
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.