Posted by Dave Irons (205.188.193.58) on August 23, 2000 at 21:56:23:
I agree with everyone else that this is a Violet-green Swallow. The general consensus has been that the bird is a juvenile. I was birding locally last weekend here in Oregon, where the young swallows are starting to flock in great numbers. I was able to study several hundred young Tree and V-G's at close range. The coloration of the upperparts of both species are virtually identical (dark dusky brown) and neither species shows any real contrast between the nape and upper back. I did not see any V-G's with the bright green mantle coloration of an adult. The V-G's were consistent in that they all showed white above the eye like the 'mystery' bird. I saw no Trees with white above the eye. Generally speaking the demarcation between the white underparts and the dark upperparts was much cleaner behind the eye on the Trees than it was on the V-G's.
All this said I think the age of the Violet-green pictured is subject to question. I would be interested to know the date of this picture. Perhaps later in the Fall the young birds look more like the adults with the typical bright green mantle. I am not a student of the timing of swallow molts, perhaps others might comment on this.