Dominica Botanic Gardens Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

Source: Dominica’s Birds Photo: Brett Hayes Photo: Floyd Hayes

Description: Mid-size, aerial bird, 20 cm long (8 in); the male has dark blue upperparts, head, throat and chest, and white abdomen; females and juveniles have duller upperparts, with grey-brown breasts and flanks which grade into the white lower underparts; has short, pointed beak, black eyes, forked tail and relatively broad wings; is gregarious and hunts for insects in flocks and in flight; click here for video and call. References: Arlington James, et al. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005 Herbert Raffaele, et al. Birds of the West Indies. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2003 Wikipedia. Caribbean Martin. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, June 2008 (wikipedia.org) Caribbean Martin and Gray-breasted Martin (Progne dominicensis and P. chalybea). Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club. June 2008 (geocities.com/floyd_hayes/birding.html).