Birds Identified: Purple Martin

You can search Google Images for images of this bird.

Purple Martin has these characteristics:

• Still perching
  
• Continuous flying
  
• Smaller than robin
  
• Tail forked
  
• Mostly blackish, or dark gray, bluish black, etc.
  
• Blue or bright green (not dull green)
  
• Underparts plain
  
• North summer (June through August)
  
• South summer (June through August)
  
• Field habitat
  
• Marsh habitat
  
• Flats or beach habitat
  
• Continuous flying high (near or above treetops when flying)
  
• Continuous flying low (below treetops when flying)
  
• Perched high (generally above middle of trees when perched or foraging)
  
• Perched low (generally below middle of trees when perched or foraging)
  
• Soaring flight (gliding or circling on set wings)
  
• Zig zag flight (many irregular twists and turns)
  
• Occurs in flocks (from 4 or 5 to thousands)
  
• Smooth, clear calls (can be imitated by human singing voice or whistling)
  

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