420 Birds of Colorado 
Fresh eggs are to be met with between June Ist and 
15th ; a full clutch is usually six ; the eggs are pure white 
and unspotted. 
Genus TACHYCINETA. 
Closely allied to Iridoprocne, but distinguished by its shorter and 
less forked tail, about 3 the length of the wing and forked for about 
+ of its length, and by its shorter lateral toes, the claws of which fall 
short of the base of the middle claw. 
This genus contains one species forming three geographical races, 
and ranges over western North America as far south as Costa Rica. 
Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina lepida. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 615—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 149; 
Trippe 74, p. 88; Henshaw 75, p. 217; Scott 79, p. 93; Minot 80, 
p. 228; Stone 81, p. 67; Drew 81, p. 88; 85, p. 15; Allen & Brewster 
83, p. 160 ; Beckham 85, p. 141 ; Morrison 88, p. 73 ; Kellogg 90, p. 89 ; 
Lowe 92, p. 101; 94, p. 269; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 111, 217; McGregor 
97, p. 39 ; Keyser 02, p. 207; Henderson 03, p. 108 ; 09, p. 238; Gilman 
07, p. 194 ; Markman 07, p. 158 ; Warren 08, p. 24 ; 09, p. 17 ; Rockwell 
08, pp. 175, 195. 
Description.—Male—Above green, the head of a more mossy tinge, 
the back more bronzy, the two shades separated by narrow purplish 
collar, more or less conspicuous ; rump and upper tail-coverts mixed 
metallic purplish and blue, with u conspicuous white patch on either 
side at the base ; wings and tail dusky with a slight metallic gloss ; 
below, including the ear-coverts and a patch above the eye white; 
iris brown, bill black, legs brownish. Length 4-75; wing 4-70; tail 
1-90 ; culmen -20; tarsus -38. 
The female is duller than the male throughout ; the crown is a dull 
brown, very slightly glossed with greenish, the ear-coverts and supra- 
orbital patch are mottled grey, and the size is smaller—wing about 
4.15. A young bird is plain dusky above, the metallic gloss gradually 
appearing, first on the middle of the back. 
Distribution.— Western North America, breeding from Alaska to 
western Texas and New Mexico; south in winter through Mexico 
to the highlands of Costa Rica. 
In Colorado the Violet-green Swallow is a common summer bird, 
though somewhat locally distributed, from the eastern foothills west- 
wards. Arriving during the first half of May from the south, they 
mostly go up into the mountains to breed, and are chiefly met with 
from 8,000 to 10,000 feet. They are specially common in the’ parks.” 
They come down again in late August and leave for the south in 
September. 
