Brown-chested Martin

Brown-chested Martin

Progne tapera

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Rio de Janeiro

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

171 Verified sightings at Rio de Janeiro
2,688 In all 25 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Brown-chested Martin

The brown-chested martin (Progne tapera) is a species of passerine bird in the family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. It is found regularly in Panama and every mainland South American country except Chile. It has been documented as a vagrant in Aruba and Chile and there are unconfirmed reports from the Falkland Islands. It is a casual visitor to Costa Rica and has been recorded in Florida, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

The brown-chested martin was originally described in 1766 as Hirundo Tapera. It was later moved to genus Progne that had been erected in 1826. However, for much of the twentieth century it was placed by itself in genus Phaeoprogne before being restored to its present Progne.

The brown-chested martin is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 30 to 40 g (1.1 to 1.4 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly sandy brown head with a white chin and throat. Their upperparts are sandy brown. Their tail is slightly forked; it and their wings are a darker... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:20

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1163764 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:21

Brazil · 2025

© Fabrício Grigolin · XC1072697 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:10

Argentina · 2024

© Sabrina Andrea Rendon Anaya · XC872313 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
2 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
3 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
4 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
5 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
6 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
8 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
9 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
10 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
11 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
12 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
13 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
14 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
15 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
16 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
17 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
18 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
19 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
20 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
21 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
22 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
23 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
24 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
2 Cordoba 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
3 Rosario 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
4 Santa Cruz de la Sierra 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~30%
5 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
6 Montevideo 🇺🇾 Uruguay
~20%
7 Porto Alegre 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
8 Asuncion 🇵🇾 Paraguay
~10%
9 Barranquilla 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
10 Salvador 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Brown-chested Martin in Rio de Janeiro?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-chested Martin sighting in Rio de Janeiro on a given day, based on 171 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 94th most-seen of the 278 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Brown-chested Martin in Rio de Janeiro?

January–February, April and September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-chested Martin in Rio de Janeiro on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–August and October–December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Brown-chested Martin?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown-chested Martin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Rio de Janeiro the best place to see a Brown-chested Martin?

15th of 26

Of the 26 cities where we can rate Brown-chested Martin sightings, Rio de Janeiro ranks 15th at about 10%. The best odds are in Buenos Aires (Argentina, about 30%), Cordoba (Argentina, about 30%) and Rosario (Argentina, about 30%).

Where does the Brown-chested Martin sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Brown-chested Martin is recorded against all the birds logged in Rio de Janeiro (171 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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