Violet-green Swallow

Overview
Violet-green Swallow: Small swallow, dark, metallic green upperparts, iridescent purple rump. Face, sides of rump, underparts are white. Tail is slightly forked. Black bill, legs and feet. Swift, graceful flight, alternates several quick wing beats with long glides. Soars on thermals and updrafts.

Range and Habitat
Violet-green Swallow: Breeds from Alaska east to South Dakota, south to southern California and Texas. Spends winters mainly south of the U.S.-Mexico border, but a few winter in southern California. Preferred habitats include forests, wooded foothills, mountains, and suburban areas.

The Violet-green Swallow has a large range, estimated globally at 6,100,000 square kilometers. Native to the Americas, this bird prefers subtropical or tropical shrubland, grassland, or forest ecosystems as well as hot deserts and intertidal marine areas such as mud and salt flats. The global population of this bird is estimated at 11,000,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Violet-green Swallow is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Violet-green Swallow was first described in 1827 by William Swainson, a British naturalist. A pair was observed assisting a pair of Western Bluebirds in raising young. The swallows guarded the nest and tended the bluebird nestlings, and after they fledged, used the nest site for their own young. A group of swallows has many collective nouns, including a "gulp", "herd", "kettle", "richness", and "sord" of swallows.