[birding] BLACK VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW Silverton

[Matthew Schneider]

Hi Birders,
While out birding this morning for the NAMC I saw what I believe to be a melanistic VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. When I first saw this bird it was sitting on a wire, with 2 normal colored VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, I thought it was a Black Phoebe but it didn't have a white belly and the wings were too long. Then I thought it might be a Purple Martin but it was the same size and shape as the two VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS on the wire with it.  When I got closer I could see that the back of the swallow had a faint green sheen to the back and the overall color was a sooty black (not pure black like a crow) with the parts that would be white on a normally colored Violet-green Swallow (the sides of the rump, the belly, flanks, sides, breast, vent, throat, cheeks, ect.) were a slightly paler shade.  The only thing I can make this bird into is a Melanistic (or some other color abnormality) Violet-green Swallow.  I do not think the this bird was any other species of swallow because the green sheen on the back eliminates everything but Tree Swallow and the bird was structurally identical to the normal colored Violet-green Swallows it associated with thus eliminating Tree Swallow.
 
I would also hesitantly guess that the bird was a female because of the faint green sheen to the back, but this could just be an issue because of the pigmentation problems.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Matthew Schneider
Silverton, Oregon
gaviaimmer at live.com 		 	   		  
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