Brown violetear

Last updated

Brown violetear
050305 Brown Violet-ear crop.jpg
Showing green gorget
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Colibri
Species:
C. delphinae
Binomial name
Colibri delphinae
(Lesson, 1839)
Colibri delphinae map.svg

The brown violetear (Colibri delphinae) is a large hummingbird that breeds at middle elevations in the mountains in Central America, and western and northern South America (primarily the Andes and the tepuis) with isolated populations on Trinidad and in the Brazilian state Bahia.

near Quito Ecuador Brown Violetear JCB.jpg
near Quito Ecuador

The breeding habitat is forest at altitudes between 400 and 1600 m, but the brown Violet-ear will spread widely into the lowlands when not nesting. It is replaced at higher altitudes by its relative, the lesser violetear (C. cyanotus), but their ranges overlap widely.

The brown violetear is typically found high in the canopy of the rainforest, tall second growth and coffee plantations, but it will feed at lower levels at edges and clearings. The nest is a small cup of plant down saddled on a twig 1–3 m. high in a bush, into which two white eggs are laid.

The 11.5 cm long, 6.5-7 g weight brown violetear is unmistakable; it is mainly dull brown, with a rufous rump and greyer underparts. There is a violet patch running back and down from the eye, a hermit-like malar stripe, and a glittering green and blue throat stripe. The bill is relatively short and almost straight.

The female is similar to the male, but has a smaller throat patch. Immature bird have rufous fringes to the upperpart plumage, and little or no violet behind the eyes. The song is a vigorous repetition of the chit call, and is delivered by up to several dozen breeding males in loose leks.

The brown violetear feeds on nectar from small flowers of trees, shrubs [3] and epiphytes. It also takes insects, often caught in flight (hawking), as an essential source of protein. Although not particularly territorial, this species is highly aggressive, and at feeders seems to spend far more time attacking other hummingbirds than actually feeding.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous hummingbird</span> Species of bird

The rufous hummingbird is a small hummingbird, about 8 cm (3.1 in) long with a long, straight and slender bill. These birds are known for their extraordinary flight skills, flying 2,000 mi (3,200 km) during their migratory transits. It is one of nine species in the genus Selasphorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little hermit</span> Species of bird

The little hermit is a hummingbird that is a resident breeder in north-eastern Venezuela, northern Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Trinidad. This lowland species occurs in various semi-open wooded habitats, e.g. mangrove, secondary forest, plantations and scrub. In Trinidad it also occurs in rainforest. It is fairly common in most of its range, and therefore listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated mango</span> Species of bird

The black-throated mango is a hummingbird species native to South America and Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-browed peppershrike</span> Species of bird

The rufous-browed peppershrike is a passerine bird in the vireo family. It is widespread and often common in woodland, forest edge, and cultivation with some tall trees from Mexico and Trinidad south to Argentina and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated spadebill</span> Species of bird

The white-throated spadebill is a tiny passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It lives in the tropical Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican violetear</span> Species of bird

The Mexican violetear is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from Mexico to Nicaragua. This species, together with the lesser violetear were previously considered conspecific, and together called the green violetear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivoli's hummingbird</span> Species of hummingbird

Rivoli's hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scintillant hummingbird</span> Species of bird

The scintillant hummingbird is a hummingbird endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. This species is replaced at higher elevations by its relative, the volcano hummingbird, S. flammula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-tailed mountaingem</span> Species of hummingbird

The grey-tailed mountaingem, also variously spelled gray-tailed mountaingem, grey-tailed mountain-gem, or gray-tailed mountain-gem, is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Costa Rica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated mountaingem</span> Species of hummingbird

The white-throated mountaingem or white-throated mountain-gem is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Band-tailed barbthroat</span> Species of hummingbird

The band-tailed barbthroat is a medium-sized hummingbird that is found from southeastern Guatemala and Belize to western Ecuador and western Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violetear</span> Genus of birds

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparkling violetear</span> Species of hummingbird

The sparkling violetear is a species of hummingbird widespread in highlands of northern and western South America, including a large part of the Andes, the Venezuelan Coastal Range, and the Tepuis. It occurs in a wide range of semi-open habitats, even in gardens and parks within major cities such as Quito, and is often the most common species of hummingbird in its range. It is highly vocal and territorial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared inca</span> Species of bird

The collared inca is a species of hummingbird found in humid Andean forests from western Venezuela, through Colombia and Ecuador, to Peru and Bolivia. It is very distinctive and unique in having a white chest-patch and white on the tail. Like other hummingbirds it takes energy from flower nectar, while the plant benefits from the symbiotic relationship by being pollinated. Its protein source is small arthropods such as insects. It is normally solitary and can be found at varying heights above the ground, often in the open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esmeraldas woodstar</span> Species of bird

The Esmeraldas woodstar is a rare, neotropical species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. There are six different species in the woodstar genus. Most of them are poorly studied due to their small size, extremely similar resemblance to each other, and rarity. Esmeraldas woodstars are one of the smallest bird species. They are sexually dimorphic. The main difference between sexes is that males have a bright purple throat. Esmeraldas woodstars are found only on the Pacific coast of west Ecuador in semi-deciduous to evergreen forests. They feed on the nectar of flowering shrubs and trees. The main threat to this species is deforestation. Esmeraldas woodstars are Vulnerable and require habitat protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-vented violetear</span> Species of hummingbird

The white-vented violetear is a species of hummingbird in the subfamily Polytminae, the mangoes. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-crested coquette</span> Species of bird

The rufous-crested coquette is a species of hummingbird native to the tropical slopes of pacific South America. Due to its small size and population, it is a rare sight even within its native region. Males of the species can be easily distinguished by their striking rufous coloured spiked crests, and females, while less obvious, can be identified by their small size and rufous coloured foreheads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripe-throated hermit</span> Species of bird

The stripe-throated hermit is a species of hummingbird from Central America and north-western South America. It is generally fairly common and considered Least Concern by BirdLife International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser violetear</span> Species of bird

The lesser violetear, also known as the mountain violet-ear, is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from Costa Rica to northern South America. This species and the Mexican violetear were formerly considered as conspecific and named the 'green violetear'.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Colibri delphinae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22687106A130118065. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22687106A130118065.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Colibri_delphinae%20-%20Brown%20Violet-ear.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]