 Breeding evidence |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
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Atlas Results
Violet-green Swallows were restricted to four general locations in the southwestern part of the province. They were observed at Fort Walsh National Historic Site, near the badlands along the Frenchman River between Eastend and Ravenscrag Butte, at Grasslands National Park, and along the South Saskatchewan River upstream of Lake Diefenbaker. Breeding was confirmed in each of these general areas, all in natural settings with the exception of Fort Walsh where the swallows take advantage of crevices in the historic buildings as nesting sites.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Violet-green Swallows are uncommon in the extreme south of Saskatchewan. Birders visiting Eastend generally travel out to nearby Jones Peak, where, in addition to the spectacular view of the Frenchman River valley, they are almost certain to see one or more pairs of Violet-green Swallows nesting on the cliff face. During the breeding season, this beautiful swallow is found in the west from Alaska south to northern Mexico and as far west as southwest Saskatchewan. Winters from Mexico to Nicaragua.
In Saskatchewan, the Violet-green Swallow is most often seen along cliffs or badlands where it nests in holes or crevices. A few have also nested in buildings at Fort Walsh (Smith 1996), and more recently (2007) in a nestbox in Swift Current.
Violet-green Swallows are rare and local summer residents in the badlands and cutbanks of the Missouri River drainage (Jones Peak, Prairie Dog Butte, and Rockglen), and the South Saskatchewan River valley east to the longitude of Lancer and Swift Current. Occasional birds wander farther north.
Original text by Dale George Hjertaas. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Violet-green Swallow in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Violet-green Swallow in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=VGSW&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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