The tree swallow is a glossy blue/green above except for blackish wings (which are very long) and tail, and white underneath. The bill is very short, pointed and black, the eyes are dark brown and the legs and feet are pale brown. It is quite large for a swallow.
According to the range map from Wikipedia, it is a winter visitor to the Salton Sea where I saw it (off McDonald Road in Niland).
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| Blue is the range of winter visits, orange is migration and yellow is summer (breeding) visitor. |
This was the first time I've ever identified one. It was near a shallow pond surrounded by cattails standing on a bare branch.
The blue looks almost iridescent, and the contrast to the white is very pretty.
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