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 →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-green Swallow sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 139 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Cave Swallow
Petrochelidon fulva
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
📅 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 Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
About 23% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-green Swallow sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 139 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Violet-green Swallow in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Violet-green Swallow in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in our monthly data.