Violet-green Swallow

The Violet-green Swallow is a dazzling aerial insectivore of the American West, glinting emerald-green and violet-purple in good light. The crown and back shine iridescent green, while the rump and uppertail coverts show a rich violet-purple sheen. White extends from the underparts up onto the face (forming a white patch above and around the eye) and onto the sides of the rump, nearly meeting over the back in flight—a key difference from the similar Tree Swallow.

This fast, agile flier is a cavity nester, using tree holes, cliff crevices, and nest boxes across open woodlands, canyons, and mountain habitats.

Key field marks

• Iridescent green crown/back, violet-purple rump
• White face patch extending above and around the eye
• White flank patches that nearly wrap around the rump, visible in flight

Similar species

• Tree Swallow: solid dark (blue-green to blue-black) above with no white on the face or rump, white underparts stop cleanly at the throat.
• White-throated Swift: unrelated but superficially similar in flight; has a forked tail and black-and-white pattern rather than iridescent colors.

Range and habitat

Violet-green Swallow breeds across western North America, from Alaska south through the western US into the Mexican highlands, in open woodlands, canyons, cliffs, and increasingly in towns and suburbs where nest boxes are provided.

Migration

Migratory; winters from Mexico south to Central America, arriving on breeding grounds relatively early in spring.

Behavior

Highly aerial, foraging in fast, agile flight often at considerable heights, sometimes in mixed flocks with other swallow and swift species.

Voice

Soft, high twittering chips given both in flight and around the nest site.

Feeding

Exclusively flying insects, caught on the wing during sustained aerial foraging bouts, often high above the ground.

Nesting and breeding

A cavity nester, using natural tree holes, old woodpecker cavities, cliff crevices, and nest boxes; often nests in loose colonies. The female incubates 4-6 eggs for roughly 2 weeks.