Swifts & Swallows

Violet-green Swallows are small sleek birds (4.7 inch length) with long pointed wings and slightly forked tails. Their wingtips extend beyond their short tail—especially noticeable when perched. They can look dark at first, but their true colors show when sunlight illuminates their metallic green backs and iridescent purple rumps. They can be distinguished from other swallows by the white patches on the sides of their rump and their white cheeks. They breed in open evergreen and deciduous woodlands, especially woodlands with standing dead trees that feature woodpecker holes or other natural cavities

Fun facts: Violet-green swallows are graceful aerial acrobats that feed on flying insects such as flies, beetles, and winged ants that they catch and eat in midair. They often forage in large groups of up to several hundred other swallows and swifts.