Violet-Green Swallow
It's not a description--that's the bird's name.
By: Jerry Poindexter
Photography by Glenn Bartley
The sleek violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) has long, pointed wings and can be seen gracefully darting through the air capturing insects. Its bill is quite wide and well-suited for catching insects in flight. This small swallow measures between 4 3/4 and 5 1/2 inches in length. People often confuse it with the tree swallow. The violet-green swallow has a distinguishing violet-green above and bright white below. This bird will be the Best in the Northwest species at the Columbia Flyway show in September 2011 in Vancouver, Washington.
This article is from the Summer 2011 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.
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