#1421 · 🐦 birds

Violet-green Swallow

🇳🇱 Groene Zwaluw ·Tachycineta thalassina

LCleast concern 🐦 Birds 📍 outside Europe

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

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...

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 21,993iNaturalist observations
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
21,993 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named by William Swainson in 1827 (199 years ago).