Violet-green Swallow

Tachycineta thalassina

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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About the Violet-green Swallow

The violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) is a small North American passerine bird in the swallow family. These aerial insectivores are distributed along the west coast from Alaska to Mexico, extending as far east as Montana and Texas. With an appearance very similar to the tree swallow, these individuals can be identified by the white rump side-patches that appear to separate their green back and purple tail. Violet-green swallows are secondary cavity nesters, found in a number of habitats including deciduous and coniferous forest. In addition to nesting in tree holes within these habitats, they are also widely observed nesting in the cracks of large cliffs.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Tachycineta thalassina
Family: Swallows
Order: Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the swallows family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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