SWALLOWS 



. ^ Northern Violet-green swallow, Tavhy- 

 ciucfa ihalassina Icpida. 5.30 



Distribution: Western North America 

 from Alaska to southern California, and from 

 the Pacific Coast to Montana, Wyoming, 

 Colorado, New Mexico and western Texas; 

 breeding throughout its range. South in 

 winter to highlands of Guatemala and Costa 

 Rica. 



The swallows of the Pacific Coast seem to 

 follow well-defined routes in their wanderings. 

 The violet-green swallows seem to prefer the 

 inland valleys where they are found in untold 

 thousands in the summer. They follow the 

 waterways north early in March and by the 

 middle of April are sw^arming over the coun- 

 tryside in quest of nesting sites. The nest is 

 usually placed in the cornice of a building 

 where a shingle has been knocked off or the 

 boards have sprung, or on a beam on the 

 inside of a barn which may be entered 

 through a convenient knot hole. Many other 

 curious and interesting nesting sites might 

 be mentioned, however, and the violet-green 

 is also one of the commonest occupants of 

 the bird box. 



In September the violet-green swallows 

 gather for the long flight southward. They 

 Hne the telegraph wires along country roads 

 55 



