Violet-Green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina By Adia Abler

Description The Violet-Green Swallow is a small, sleek bird covered with violet-green feathers above and a white feathered belly. The sides of their heads are violet-green with white patches extending above the eye. There is also white patches just above the wings when the bird is perched, and under the wings. The wings extend beyond the tail, which is forked. The Violet-Green Swallow can be easily confused with the Tree Swallow, but the Violet-Green Swallow flies higher than other swallows and often flutters when it does. Baby Violet-Green Swallows have brownish-gray feathers above and a grayish-white belly. Male Violet-Green Swallows tend to be shorter and chubbier than females, who have a more bluish back and brownish head.

Habitat and Range Habitat Violet-Green Swallows often live in mountain forests but in Washington, they have a variety of habitats such as forests, prairies, wetlands, open water and cities. They can often be found at the edge of forests, but they can also be seen in city areas within forests zones. Early spring: near water *Don’t go to breeding area’s until weathers warmer.* Summer and later summer: on mountains or high elevations Migration: near water Breeds: open woodlands Most swallow migrate up to 12,400 miles, sometimes including Violet- Green Swallows.

Feeding and Nesting Nesting Violet-Green Swallows often nest in large cavities, cliffs, buildings, woodpecker holes and nest boxes. Violet-Green Swallows have gotten to like man-made structures. Violet- Green Swallows often nest in isolated pairs, or in colonies up to 25 nests. Females and males both build nests out of grass, twigs, rootlets, straw and feathers. The mother incubated 4-6 eggs for days and then the young leave after days. Feeding Violet-Green Swallows mostly feed on flying insects but sometimes other things. They almost always look for food while their flying, and they fly high. Sometimes they feed over open water- and in bad weather, too. Both parents feed their young and even after they have left the nest, their parents continue to feed them.

Behavior Violet-Green Swallows are social birds. They are often found flying in flocks of mixed bird/swallow species or in flocks of their own species. They are highly acrobatic birds and like to fly high, higher than most other swallows. Violet-Green Swallows are also helpful to other birds. It is said that a pair of Violet-Green Swallows were seen assisting a family of Western Bluebirds raise their young.

Threats For the most part, Violet-Green Swallows do not have many threats. They are adapted to humans and live almost everywhere in Washington, because their migrating and breeding habitats combined takes up nearly all of the state. Their main threats, however, are humans, sometimes, and crashing into power lines and cars. Male Violet- Green Swallow Female Violet- Green Swallow

How can we help the Violet- Green Swallow? The Violet-Green Swallow is pretty well off by itself, but we can still do our best to help it. How? We can try hard to respect it’s habitats- leave them alone- and if that can’t be done, than setting up a special habitat for it would be nice. The Violet-Green Swallow would need lots of insects to eat and nesting boxes for raising young. You can also help the Violet-Green Swallow by looking for it on the road do you don’t run it over, and trying not to place power lines near it’s habitat. Remember: Violet-Green Swallows like to fly high! Thank you!

The Miracle of The Swallows Every year the miracle of the “Swallows” of Capistrano takes place in San Juan Capistrano on March 19 th, or St. Josephs day. The “Scout Swallows” of the “Swallows” of Capistrano leave a few days earlier than the main flock- it seems that it is their job to go and clear the way for the rest to go to the chapel of Capistrano. The swallows arrive at dawn on St. Josephs day and start rebuilding their mud nests that are still hanging onto the old stone chapel, that was ruined in a earthquake in The chapel is now a house for these swallows. After the summer is over, the swallows fly into the air again and leave on October 23 after circling the chapel as they bid their summer home goodbye.

Credits Credits to: Ms. Julia- for helping me find sites. Sophie- for helping with the format of my PowerPoint. Asa- who was supportive and told me I was doing great. Sophia- who let me do this bird instead of her doing it. All the people who wrote/made the sites in my bibliography- for giving me information and pictures! And, of course to my class for not picking this bird first!!! Thank you!

Bibliography  "Birding Trail." Willamalane. Web.  "Ecobirder: Violet-Green Swallow." Ecobirder. Web. 20 May  Henkes, Kevin, and Laura Dronzek. Birds. [New York]: Greenwillow, Print.  "S.A.N. Pesticides." Shoreline Area News. Web.  "The Story of San Juan Capistrano's Mission Swallows." San Juan Capistrano. Web. 20 May  "Violet-Green Swallow." All About Birds. Web.  "Violet-Green Swallow." Birds. Cornell University, Web.  "Violet-Green Swallow." BirdWeb. Seattle Audubon Society, Web. 20 May  "Violet-Green Swallow Nest, Eggs and Young." Sialis. Web. 20 May  "Violet-Green Swallow." Web.  "Violet-Green Swallow." Planetofbirds.com. Web. 20 May  "Violet-Green Swallow." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 May 2013.