Violet-Green Swallow

Tachycineta thalassina
The Violet-Green Swallow breeds in western North America from Alaska to Mexico. They spend winters in Central and northern South America. Some populations never leave Mexico. They nest in cavities in a tree or rock crevice, sometimes forming small colonies. I once found a pair nesting in a shallow burrow on a dirt bank in the Yukon.
If we held a beauty contest, and the contestants were all swallows, the Violet-Green Swallow would probably get the most votes. Viewed at a distance, and on the wing, we might confuse them with Tree Swallows, the likely runner-up in our fictitious contest. I try to look at the white band near the bird’s rump. The Tree Swallow’s band falls far short of a full circle over the top, while the Violet-Green Swallow’s is nearly complete.
There has been a slight decline in population for these birds, as with most aerial insectivores. Use of insecticides is the suspected cause for this decline.
Today, researchers recognise two subspecies of Violet-Green Swallow:
- T. t. thalassina breeds in Alaska, Canada, and in the western USA, south to Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. They spend winters from Baja California (Mexico) to Central America.
- T. t. brachyptera breeds in northwestern Mexico, in Baja California and Sonora.

Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 13:43 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/50 |
File Name: D3X5330-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:07 9:38 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X5731-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:07 9:40 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X5734-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: Found nesting in a burrow on a dirt bank at MacIntyre Marsh. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:17 6:42 |
Location:
MacIntyre Marsh |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD4996VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: Found nesting in a burrow on a dirt bank at MacIntyre Marsh. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:17 6:48 |
Location:
MacIntyre Marsh |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: JCD5012VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Violet-green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: Loafing by Lake Crowley. Upper Owens River Valley. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 14:09 |
Location:
North Landing |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD9033-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: Foraging at Lake Crowley. Upper Owens River Valley. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 14:35 |
Location:
Whitmore Hot Springs |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD9179-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Violet-green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: Foraging at Lake Crowley. Upper Owens River Valley. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 14:37 |
Location:
North Landing |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD9249-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 13:39 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: Cut_D3X5298-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:07 9:47 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: Cut_D3X5741-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 10:12 |
Location:
Antelope Island |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: VioletGreenSwallow_D5X6737-AntelopeIsland |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Violet-Green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina) |
Description: The Springs at Santa Rosa Mountain. Riverside County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:06:06 13:39 |
Location:
Santa Rosa Mountain |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: D3X5298-VioletGreenSwallow |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |

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