Photo: Polinova / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) is a member of the Hirundinidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 14.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Hirundinidae Swallows, Martins
- Genus Tachycineta
- Species thalassina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Violet-green Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Violet-green Swallow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA w USA and w Canada.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.1 g, with a wing length of about 11.6 cm and a tail of around 4.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Violet-green Swallow?
The Violet-green Swallow is a very small bird that weighs around 14.1 g.
Where does the Violet-green Swallow live?
The Violet-green Swallow is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA w USA and w Canada, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Violet-green Swallow belong to?
The Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) belongs to the Hirundinidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Violet-green Swallow eat?
The Violet-green Swallow is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Violet-green Swallow migrate?
The Violet-green Swallow is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Violet-green Swallow endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Violet-green Swallow make?
1 real field recording of the Violet-green Swallow — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Violet-green Swallow's range?
The Violet-green Swallow has a mapped global range of about 6.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Hirundinidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.