page_title: Violet-green swallow
section_title: Hybridization
hierarchical_section_title: Violet-green swallow / Taxonomy / Hybridization
caption_attribution_description: English: Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina, Concrete, Washington, U.S.
context_page_description: The violet-green swallow 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.
context_section_description: Hybridization has been known to occur among the swallows, with a few cases involving violet-green swallows being reported. Breeding between violet-green swallows and both tree and barn swallows has been recorded on separate occasions, but resulting offspring were not observed. In 2000, the strange plumage of a swallow seen in British Columbia, Canada suggested the possible successful hybridization of a violet-green and cliff swallow. Nonetheless, these observations are rare hence why minimal research has looked into swallow hybridization.
caption: A violet-green swallow in flight
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