Violetear

The violetears are hummingbirds of the genus Colibri. They are medium to large species found in Mexico, and Central and northern South America. The Mexican violetear occasionally wanders as far north as the United States and even Canada.

Violetear
Sparkling violetear, Colibri coruscans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Subfamily:	Trochilinae
Genus:	Colibri Spix, 1824
Type species
Colibri serrirostris
Species
5, see text

Violetears have ample rounded tails and short or medium black bills. Three of the four species have a mainly green plumage. The males have a violet blue patch running back and down from the eye, which is erected when they are excited, and a glittering throat patch. The female plumage is generally like the male's, but the ear and throat patches are smaller.

Violetears build substantial cup nests into which two white eggs are laid. They have loud persistent songs, often repetitions of double notes.

These birds come readily to artificial nectar feeders, and show no fear of humans. They are aggressively territorial, and at feeders or flowering shrubs they spend much time chasing other hummingbirds, rather than feeding.

Species

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Colibri delphinae	Brown violetear	Mexico to northern and western South America
	Colibri thalassinus	Mexican violetear	Mexico to northwestern Nicaragua
	Colibri cyanotus	Lesser violetear	Costa Rica, Panama, and the Andes (from Bolivia and northwards)
	Colibri coruscans	Sparkling violetear	The Andes (from Argentina and northwards)
	Colibri serrirostris	White-vented violetear	Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay

References

• Hilty, Birds of Venezuela, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
• Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
• Birds of the World, 1999 Edition ISBN 9780862838065