Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyHirundinidae (Swallows and Martins)
- GenusTachycineta (Tachycineta Swallows)
- SpeciesTachycineta thalassina (Violet-green Swallow)
The violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) is a small North American passerine bird in the swallow family. These aerial insectivores are distributed along the west coast from Alaska to Mexico, extending as far east as Montana and Texas. With an appearance very similar to the tree swallow, these individuals can be identified by the white rump side-patches that appear to separate their green back and purple tail. Violet-green swallows are secondary cavity nesters, found in a number of habitats including deciduous and coniferous forest. In addition to nesting in tree holes within these habitats, they are also widely observed nesting in the cracks of large cliffs. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-green Swallow sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 1,040 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Grand Canyon National Park
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Purple Martin
Progne subis
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Violet-green Swallow in Grand Canyon National Park?
About 44% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-green Swallow sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 1,040 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Violet-green Swallow in Grand Canyon National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Violet-green Swallow in Grand Canyon National Park in our monthly data.