Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Violet-green Swallows are another beautiful and common swallow species in Oregon, often seen alongside Tree Swallows. While they share the general aerial insectivore lifestyle and graceful flight, they have distinct plumage features that allow for differentiation between the sexes, especially during the breeding season.
General Appearance (Both Sexes):
Size and Shape: Small, sleek swallows, similar in size to Tree Swallows (around 4.7-5.9 inches / 12-15 cm). They have long, pointed wings and a relatively short, slightly notched tail. Their wingtips extend beyond their tail when perched.
Color Pattern: They appear dark above and crisp white below. The white on their underparts uniquely wraps around the sides of the rump, creating distinctive "saddlebags" that almost meet over the tail. This is a key field mark for distinguishing them from Tree Swallows. They also have white extending up onto the face, partially surrounding the eye.
Flight: Highly agile and acrobatic, with quicker and stiffer wingbeats than Tree Swallows, often flying at various heights over water bodies and open woodlands.
Habitat: They breed in open woodlands, including deciduous, evergreen, and mixed species forests, particularly where old trees with cavities (like woodpecker holes) are present. They also readily use nest boxes in residential areas.
Male Violet-green Swallows:
Plumage: Adult males are truly striking. In good light, their upperparts (back, head, and wings) exhibit a vibrant, iridescent emerald green that can appear bronze in certain light. Their rump and upper tail coverts are an iridescent **violet** or purplish color.
Face: A key distinguishing feature for males is their clean, crisp white cheek patches that extend up behind and often above the eye, sharply separating the white from the dark crown.
Female Violet-green Swallows:
Plumage: Adult females are generally duller than males. While they still have some green and violet iridescence on their upperparts, it's often less intense and can appear more mixed with brownish or grayish tones, particularly on the head and back.
Face: Females typically have dusky or smudged cheek patches where the white on the face is less prominent and blends more gradually with the darker head plumage. This is a very reliable way to differentiate them from males.
First-Year Females (Second-Year, SY): Younger females are even duller, with more grayish-brown on their backs and crowns, and very dusky faces.
Key Differences to Look For (especially in Oregon):
Rump "Saddlebags": Both sexes of Violet-green Swallows have the diagnostic white patches on the sides of their rump that almost meet above the tail. This is absent in Tree Swallows, which have solid dark backs.
Face Pattern: This is often the most reliable way to tell sexes apart in Violet-green Swallows. Males have clean white cheeks wrapping up around the eye, while females have dusky or smudged cheeks.
Iridescence Intensity: Males generally show brighter, more intense green and violet on their upperparts compared to the duller, more brownish-tinged females.
General Appearance (Both Sexes):
Size and Shape: Small, sleek swallows, similar in size to Tree Swallows (around 4.7-5.9 inches / 12-15 cm). They have long, pointed wings and a relatively short, slightly notched tail. Their wingtips extend beyond their tail when perched.
Color Pattern: They appear dark above and crisp white below. The white on their underparts uniquely wraps around the sides of the rump, creating distinctive "saddlebags" that almost meet over the tail. This is a key field mark for distinguishing them from Tree Swallows. They also have white extending up onto the face, partially surrounding the eye.
Flight: Highly agile and acrobatic, with quicker and stiffer wingbeats than Tree Swallows, often flying at various heights over water bodies and open woodlands.
Habitat: They breed in open woodlands, including deciduous, evergreen, and mixed species forests, particularly where old trees with cavities (like woodpecker holes) are present. They also readily use nest boxes in residential areas.
Male Violet-green Swallows:
Plumage: Adult males are truly striking. In good light, their upperparts (back, head, and wings) exhibit a vibrant, iridescent emerald green that can appear bronze in certain light. Their rump and upper tail coverts are an iridescent **violet** or purplish color.
Face: A key distinguishing feature for males is their clean, crisp white cheek patches that extend up behind and often above the eye, sharply separating the white from the dark crown.
Female Violet-green Swallows:
Plumage: Adult females are generally duller than males. While they still have some green and violet iridescence on their upperparts, it's often less intense and can appear more mixed with brownish or grayish tones, particularly on the head and back.
Face: Females typically have dusky or smudged cheek patches where the white on the face is less prominent and blends more gradually with the darker head plumage. This is a very reliable way to differentiate them from males.
First-Year Females (Second-Year, SY): Younger females are even duller, with more grayish-brown on their backs and crowns, and very dusky faces.
Key Differences to Look For (especially in Oregon):
Rump "Saddlebags": Both sexes of Violet-green Swallows have the diagnostic white patches on the sides of their rump that almost meet above the tail. This is absent in Tree Swallows, which have solid dark backs.
Face Pattern: This is often the most reliable way to tell sexes apart in Violet-green Swallows. Males have clean white cheeks wrapping up around the eye, while females have dusky or smudged cheeks.
Iridescence Intensity: Males generally show brighter, more intense green and violet on their upperparts compared to the duller, more brownish-tinged females.