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Hirundine seen on RRS James Clark Ross, en route from Falklands to South Georgia. First seen at 13:30 ship's time by Nicholas L. Warren at 51 degrees, 52 minutes S, 55 degrees, 52 minutes W. Observed later that afternoon by NLW, Ben Phalan and Mike Dunn. Not seen on subsequent days.

This bird was observed and photographed while I was en route to Bird Island, South Georgia. I then had no internet access or access to relevant field guides until 2004. I sent the photograph (which was a transparency) to a colleague in February 2003, and he identified the bird as a Grey-breasted Martin. He added that there had been at least one in Stanley in early November 2001 as part of an "invasion" of hirundines (Barn Swallow, Chilean Swallow) from end October to mid November, per December 2002 Falklands Conservation newsletter.

However, on getting the slide scanned in 2018, I revisited this record and believe the bird is in fact a Purple Martin.

DESCRIPTION (from field notes)

Overall: A bit bigger and chunkier than a Barn Swallow, perhaps about the size of a Common Starling. A dark, sooty plumage overall, blackish with some shiny blue sheen.

Bare parts: Bill dark grey, quite strong, slightly hooked at tip. Pale pink mouth (wide). Legs and feet dark blackish brown. Eye dark (blackish).

Upperparts: Blackish, with dark blue gloss on some new inner primaries, innermost greater coverts, some lesser coverts, middle tertial, and patchily on mantle. Pale ashy grey forehead and nape, black lores, glossy blue patch across top of crown. Perhaps had a whitish border to mantle, but this may have just been feather bases showing. Wings dark blackish, long (obscuring tail).

Underparts: Greyish, becoming whitish on chin (v. slight hint of darker malar streaks) with some faint streaks on lower breast from shaft streaks or darker feather shafts. Whitish vent.

Behaviour: Quite weak, but not enough to allow it to be caught. Flew a short distance out from ship several times before returning to perch on deck. Pecked at a paint chip and looked like it was trying to drink spray.

La familia Tropaeolaceae es endémica de Sudamérica, comprende tres géneros y alrededor de 90 especies: Magallana (dos especies), Trophaeastrum (una especie) y Tropaeolum (86 especies) (Pellicer & Moreira, 2001)

This specimen came with some bananas bought in a grocery in the same neighbourhood. It didn't bite anybody and was released in a tree due to lack of information on how to proceed in the moment. In the pictures it's kept inside a 500gr glass jar for size reference.