Violet Green Swallows

Also see Tree Swallows and Pairing

Speaking of violet-green swallows (which Bruce mentioned at the end of his email), how far apart should I place nest boxes for them? I'm working on establishing a VG swallow trail in my neighborhood. I've read that VGs nest in loose colonies, but also that they defend an area around their nest box from other swallows. So I guess they're territorial, but maybe not as much so as tree swallows? Any suggestions?

Mike Donahue
Seattle

Hi Mike,

Here's what i found in the Birds of North America articles on the Tree Swallow & the Violet-green Swallow. (I used the first edition printed versions
-- We've got the whole series here in the office. I doubt nesting habits have changed since 1992.)

TREE SWALLOW
Nest spacing partly dependent on spacing of nest sites, but most nests spaced at least 10 to 15 m from nearest neighbor. Nesting pairs occasionally breed only 1 to 3 m apart & very rarely two females breed simultaneously in the same cavity. When nest sites are provided in cluster, pairs space nests as far apart as possible & attempt to prevent conspecifics from nesting nearby. ... Altho birds will nest in solitary locations, they commonly nest in aggregations.

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW
Little information. In an area with many nesting boxes, swallows required an open flight path from nest box to sky, with one pair not tolerating the use of this flyway by another breeding pair or by other species of swallows. Nests may be solitary or in colonies, & little is known about territories in either case. In Colorado above 2400 m, pairs found in widely dispersed nest boxes, usually at least 1 km apart (n=53). ... Where nesting cavities are numerous, colonies often form with as many as 20 pairs in a single dead pine.

& i just checked the online version -- The Violet-green Swallow's account has not been updated.
If you do get a colony, Mike, keep careful records of the distance between boxes. Who knows what new things you might discover? :-)

Torrey Wenger
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo, MI

Michael and I were offlisting (a word I maybe just invented) on violet green swallows (VGSW) and I
was surprised to learn so little info is available about them. See The Birdhouse Network bio at
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bios/sp_accts/vgsw

I asked Linda Violett, and even she said she hasn't had swallows attempting to nest on her urban
trail. (If I were a violet green swallow, I would want to be on Linda VIOLETT's trail :-) She did
indicate that a few have nested on the cabin (forest) trail and they chose a standard 1-holed box
rather than a large/deep 1-holer or 2-holer.

So it sounds like there is lots to be learned, and that it would also be helpful if anyone on this
listserv (including lurkers :-) who HAS had VGSWs nest in their boxes could share with us.

Bet from CT

From: kcbsp"at"aol.com [mailto:kcbsp"at"aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 7:47 PM
Subject: Fwd: Violet-green swallows

Here is a reply from Don Yoder in California.

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Yoder <cbrp"at"value.net>
To: kcbsp"at"aol.com
Sent: Thu, 02 Mar 2006 16:23:24 -0800
Subject: Re: Violet-green swallows, Don would you know the answers?
Hi All : I have consulted my swallow expert in Ventura County,
So. CA, who advises that she puts tree swallow nests as close as
10 ft. and they use them. But she gets better results at 15-20 Ft .
Name on request. Happy Birding. Don 4:23 P PST

-----Original Message-----
From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 2:43 PM
To: kcbsp"at"aol.com; Bluebird-L"at"cornell.edu
Cc: cbrp"at"value.net
Subject: RE: Violet-green swallows Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and Violet-green swallows (Tachycienta thalassina) are two different species.

Bet from CT

Last summer was our second nesting season at this home, and the first where we had swallows checking out our two nestboxes. I had a pair of Violet Greens very interested in the nestbox I have mounted the highest (about 8 ft.) and I was SO hoping they would chose to nest here.

I got a pair of WEBL in the nestbox, which made me happy, but my other nestbox remained empty, which is usually the case. My neighbor, two houses away, got TRES and was delighted. This was his first year with a nestbox in his garden.

I'm hoping the swallows return again this season as I love watching them; the majority seem to be TRES. The Violet Greens I saw were zooming around with the TRES, but are much more colorful.

Right now, our pair of WEBL are spending lots of time in our garden at the nestbox they used last season, and are also checking out my neighbor's nestbox. He would be thrilled if they chose his garden, but I sure would miss watching them. Maybe I'll get a Violet Green pair instead!

Wish I knew more about them and their habits. The swallows are only around in quantity in the spring. During the summer we see them in the evening, feeding and putting on an aerial show.

Barbara in Cloverdale

Violet-green Swallows nest in my yard. I do keep some records about them. I have the day they arrive in my area, the first egg laid, and some other information.
If anybody wants any information you are welcome to e-mail me.

Renee
North Idaho

On a trip to Alaska a couple of years ago we ran across a former dairy farm that now belongs to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In the fields that used to graze cows we saw hundreds of nest boxes, simple boxes, and thought we had run into a bluebird farm! When we saw students monitoring them, we talked to them. VGSW were being raised here, and one can't go a block without seeing them. Anyone wanting info on them can contact the University there and I am sure you can learn all you ever want to.
Phil Berry
Gulf Breeze, Florida

I've also seen that in the literature, but here in the Seattle area (0-500 feet) violet-greens are very common.

Michael Donahue

-----Original Message-----
From: happywebl"at"comcast.net [mailto:happywebl"at"comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 12:26 PM
To: torrey_canyon"at"yahoo.com; Bluebird-l"at"cornell.edu
Cc: Torrey
Subject: RE: Violet-green swallows

I live in a small valley, surrounded by low foothills. I see some swallows all summer, mostly in the evening when they come swooping by after insects; in the spring they are more numerous, looking for nesting sites.

We have a majority of TRES -- the Violet Green are less numerous and last season was the first time I had seen them, ever! As John says, they are absolutely gorgeous birds.

Our town motto is: "Where the Vineyards meet the Redwoods", so we are at the very beginning of the higher elevations. We have a large, man-made lake close by, and a creek behind our home, as well as the Russian River running through the town; there is abundant water here to attract swallows.

This morning we had snow on our low foothills; this is only the third time since I've lived in California (20+years) that I've seen it snow in this area. It's beautiful, with the daffodils blooming and the trees leafing out at the same time, but it will be gone by noon.

Barbara in Cloverdale, CA

According to the literature, Violet-green Swallows prefer higher elevations. I'd be curious to know if
people like Barbara, who only see them during the spring, live in the low foothills & not the mountains.

Torrey Wenger
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo, MI

Dear Friends,

We've had Violet-green Swallows on our trails for a few years now, but they are very difficult to pin down on a behavior level.

I have experimented with paired sets of x2 to even x3 nesting boxes spaced 15 to 20 feet. The entry hole for one nest box was cut to 1 9/16" or 1 1/2" for Bluebirds and the adjacent nest boxes had entry holes cut to 1 3/8" to accommodate the Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows. It is fun to watch a Western Bluebird trying to get into a 1 3/8" entry hole, before it figures out that the nest box next door has a hole that will work for them.

Not much to report, but I've seen things work out between specie and then again most locations seem to end up being Swallow colonies and the Bluebirds move to other nest boxes away from same.

Behind my wood workshop I've been get a nesting pair of Violet-green Swallows now for the past 2 years and I saw them again last week before the storms came back in. Like most Swallows when the weather turn ugly, Swallows leave for a time and will then return when the sun comes out again.

There is something I can tell you about Violet-green Swallows, they are very lovely birds. When I'm near their nest box they will circle around you to defend their area and you can get a good look at the
plumage that way. The color combinations area fantastic! ...

John Schuster, Owner / Operator
Cotati, CA

Thanks!
A few questions John:

- So do they use paired boxes?
- Did you see any preference in hole size?
- What height boxes did they nest in?
- Do their eggs and nests look different from tree swallows?
- What were first egg dates?

Bet from CT

Dear Bet,

Q. So do they use paired boxes?
A. Yes and then again...

I've seen paired sets with a Violet-green Swallow in a box and the other stands empty. I've seen paired sets with a Western Bluebird in one box and a Violet-green Swallow in the other. Then I've seen sets of x3 nest boxes having x2 Violet-green Swallow nests in them and the third nest box was empty or a Bluebird was in the third nest box for a time, then driven off.

Q. Did you see any preference in hole size?
A. They do like the 1 3/8" entry hole, but I've seen them use 1 1/2"
and 1 9/16" too. Also a body of water (ponds) helps to get them in
too.

Q. What height boxes did they nest in?
A. Most of our nest boxes at set at 4 1/2 feet from the base of the entry hole to the ground. We also have nest boxes set on top of Highway stakes in vineyard at 6 feet too. All attract Western Bluebird and Violet-green Swallow.

I might add that many years ago, at the far end of our vineyard, one of our works accidentally struck an broke off a nest boxes from it's mounting pole (hence the development of our Meadowood Bluebird nest box with steel plate mounting system) with a tractor. Needless to say I was mad, but when I arrived at the seen I saw the Violet-green Swallow still tending to the nest box on the ground, feeding the baby birds inside and the baby bird inside were A-OK. I replaced the nest box and all fledged, so all is well that ends well..

Q. Do their eggs and nests look different from tree swallows?
A. No they look pretty much the same.

Q. What were first egg dates?

A. Violet-green Swallow egg laying falls around April and that depend on the weather too. Bad weather and the Violet-green Swallow just leave. Sorry, no real data on actual egg laying dates, as Violet- green Swallow are a hit and miss avian here on our farm.

...

John Schuster
Cotati, CA

Dear Torrey,

Our vineyard in Cotati is on a high hillside over looking most of
Sonoma County.

Yes, if Violet-green Swallows like high ground then I guess we are it.

... John Schuster
Cotati, CA

From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 2:21 PM
Subject: Violet-green swallows

Was just reading in the Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds’ Nests that “May occupy the same tree with bluebirds, nuthatches, woodpeckers, wrens. In a number of colonial situations, it appeared to author that Violet-greens chose the highest of available cavities.” Also says their nests and eggs are indistinguishable from tree swallows. Sometimes nest in colonies, often singly.

Bet from CT

From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 7:10 PM
Subject: VGSW

Saw this website for James Reserve bluebird Trail (San Jacinto) from the Bluebirding Forum great links and resources

Violet-Green Swallow pix and info at http://www.jamesreserve.edu/vgswallows/violetgreenswallow.html

Also western bluebird fotos and info at http://www.jamesreserve.edu/BluebirdSite/BluebirdMain.html

Bet from CT

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