Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Arizona Sycamores often shed branches leaving what seems to be most perfect nest holes for many birds including Vioet-green Swallows. Along Sycamore Creek in the western foothills of the Mazatzal Mountain, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. May 2010. Notice the glimpse of white just above the tail.
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By the end of April or May, Violet-green Swallows return to Arizona's sycamore
canyons from wintering grounds in tropical America. They feed on mostly
small, soft-bodied flying insects which they capture on-the-wing. Watch
swallows carefully and see them veer suddenly up, down, left or right in rapid
succession. Each maneuver caught a tiny morsel and several more bugs are lined
up to be swallowed in succession. These food packets are very small so the
birds need to catch many of them and that also means staying on the wing most
all their waking hours, hunting.
The head and back are irridescent green to violet (depending on light direction) while the chest and belly are snow white. The Violet-green Swallow has white nearly wrapping above the rump whereas the similar Tree Swallow does not.