General Description: Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina) are birds of the open sky that feed on the wing and don't often perch where you can get a good look at them. In flight, Violet-greens are iridescent green above and bright white below with bright white patches on the sides of the rump. The top of the head is dark and the chin is light, similar to Tree Swallows, but a crescent-shaped, white earpatch extends up and over the eye.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Hirundinidae, Hirundininae.

Favored Habitat: Swallows are birds of the open sky that feed on the wing. They can be found in most habitats as they pass through the Las Vegas area during migration. Violet-green Swallows breed in the local mountains.

Where to Find: Swallow can be found anywhere, but it usually is easy to find in open marshy areas and over water. Look for them at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, the meadow at Calico Basin, and the pasture at Corn Creek. During summer, look for them on Mt. Charleston.

Comments: Swifts and swallows can sometimes be hard to tell apart in flight. The key is the way they fly. Swallows flap their wings like normal birds -- both wings go up and down at the same time. Swifts do this too, but they flap so quickly that the wings appear to move in opposite directions with one wing going up while the other goes down -- more of a swimming motion.

If you were a flying insect, you'd better hope you never see this face!