# Lesser violetear

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Species of bird

Lesser violetear C. c. cabanidis, Panama Conservation status CITES Appendix II [1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Strisores Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae Genus: Colibri Species: C. cyanotus Binomial name Colibri cyanotus (Bourcier, 1843) Subspecies See text

The **lesser violetear** (***Colibri cyanotus***), also known as the **mountain violet-ear**, is a medium-sized, metallic green [hummingbird](/source/Hummingbird) species commonly found in forested areas from Costa Rica south to the Andes and Argentina and east to Venezuela.[2] This species and the [Mexican violetear](/source/Mexican_violetear) were formerly considered as conspecific and named the 'green violetear'.

## Taxonomy and systematics

Like all hummingbirds, the lesser violetear belongs to the order [Apodiformes](/source/Apodiformes). Hummingbirds share this order with the [swifts](/source/Swift_(bird)), such as the [white-collared swift](/source/White-collared_swift). The name Apodiformes is derived from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) words "a pous", meaning "without foot". While apodiforms do in fact have feet, they are quite small and their legs are short and relatively weak. Many birds in this order cannot walk, and thus rarely if ever land on the ground since quick escape from predators is virtually impossible. For this reason members of this order spend a majority of their time in the air.

### Subspecies

The lesser violetear has four sub-species:

- *C. c. cabanidis* ([Heine](/source/Ferdinand_Heine)), 1863) - [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), western [Panama](/source/Panama)

- *C. c. crissalis* [Todd](/source/W._E._Clyde_Todd), 1942 - [Peru](/source/Peru) and [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia)

- *C. c. cyanotus* ([Bourcier](/source/Jules_Bourcier), 1843) - [Colombia](/source/Colombia), northwestern [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela), [Ecuador](/source/Ecuador)

- *C. c. kerdeli* [Aveledo](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ram%C3%B3n_Aveledo_Hostos&action=edit&redlink=1) & [Perez](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luis_A._P%C3%A9rez_Chinchilla&action=edit&redlink=1), 1991 - northeastern Venezuela

		- *C. c. cyanotus* Colombia

		- *C. c. cyanotus* in flight, Colombia

		- Male *C. c. cabanidis* displaying its "ears" Costa Rica

		- *C. c. cabanidis* showing neck stretching Panama

		- *C. c. cabanidis* in flight Panama

## Description

Lesser violetear displaying its ears to a Green-crowned brilliant in Los Quetzales National Park, Costa Rica

The lesser violetear is roughly medium-sized by hummingbird standards. It averages around 9.7 to 12 cm (3.8 to 4.7 in) in total length. Its bill is black and mostly straight with only a slight downward curve and measures from 1.8 to 2.5 cm (0.71 to 0.98 in).[3][4] The body mass can vary from 4.8 to 5.6 g (0.17 to 0.20 oz).[5] Among standard measurements, the [wing chord](/source/Wing_chord_(biology)) is 5.8 to 6.8 cm (2.3 to 2.7 in) and the [tail](/source/Tail) is 3.5 to 4.3 cm (1.4 to 1.7 in).[6] It is shining green above with a glittering violet ear-patch on the sides of its neck. Its throat and chest are a more glittering green with a shining green belly. The tail is a metallic blue-green with more bronzy central feathers and a prominent black subterminal band.

### Vocalizations

Solitary males sing from high, exposed twigs in their territory every day. Their song is a monotonously repeated sharp and dry "tsu-tzeek" at a rate of about one call per second.

## Distribution and habitat

### Distribution

The lesser violetear breeds from the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama; mountains of northern Venezuela, and the [Andes](/source/Andes) from western Venezuela to western Bolivia.

### Habitat

Common [habitats](/source/Habitats) for the lesser violetear are in the canopy and borders of subtropical and lower [temperate forest](/source/Temperate_forest), [secondary woodland](/source/Secondary_woodland) and scrub, and clearings and gardens in the subtropical zone on both slopes of the Andes. It is recorded mostly between altitudes of 1,500 to 3,300 m (4,900 to 10,800 ft), although it is sometimes found down to 900 m (3,000 ft).[7] It generally prefers more humid and high-altitude areas, such as [cloud forests](/source/Cloud_forests), than the similar [sparkling violetear](/source/Sparkling_violetear) and is completely absent from the central valley where the sparkling violetear is most prevalent. However, the two species will sometimes be seen in the same areas feeding at flowering *[Inga](/source/Inga)* trees.

## Behavior and ecology

### Diet

The lesser violetear forages alone but tends to gather at flowering trees, especially coffee-shade *[Inga](/source/Inga)*. They feed at mid-level to [canopy](/source/Canopy_(biology)) and often hold and defend a feeding territory. They primarily feed on nectar and small insects. The lesser violetear has been recorded as attaining the greatest flying speed ever recorded for a hummingbird, with a pair of birds having attained 90 mph (140 km/h) during a chase, although other species may be able to attain similar speeds.[8]

### Breeding

Like most hummingbirds, the lesser violetear is a solitary nester. The male's only involvement in the breeding process is to attract and mate with the female. The female is then responsible for choosing a nest location, generally on a low, small horizontal branch in a protected area. The nest is small and built from various plant materials, spider webs, and down woven together to form a sturdy cup structure. Two small white eggs are laid within the nest and the female incubates them on her own. [Incubation time](/source/Incubation_time) is 14–18 days. Hatchlings are primarily fed insects due to high nutritional requirements. No information was found on the length of the nestling stage or age at fledgling. Breeding takes place through the wet season into the early dry season, which varies by latitude.[9]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Appendices | CITES"](https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php). *cites.org*. Retrieved 2022-01-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** John Shewey (2021). [*The Hummingbird Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about These Fascinating Birds*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YZx4EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT507). Hachette UK. p. 507. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-64326-093-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-64326-093-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hilty1986_3-0)** Hilty, S.L.; Brown, W.L. (1986). *A Guide to the Birds of Colombia*. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0691083728](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0691083728).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Howell1995_4-0)** Howell, S.N.G.; Webb, S. (1995). [*A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America*](https://archive.org/details/guidetobirdsofme0000howe). New York, New York: Oxford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0198540120](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0198540120).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Weske1972_5-0)** Weske, J.S. (1972). *The distribution of the avifauna in the Apurimac Valley of Peru with respect to environmental gradients, habitat, and related species* (Ph.D.). Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wetmore1968_6-0)** Wetmore, A. (1968). *The Birds of the Republic of Panama. Part 2. Columbidae (pigeons) to Picidae (woodpeckers)*. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. Vol. 150, part 2. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Dale Dyer; Steve N. G. Howell (2023). *Birds of Costa Rica*. Princeton University Press. p. 218.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wood_8-0)** Wood, Gerald (1983). [*The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats*](https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofan00wood). Guinness Superlatives. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-85112-235-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-85112-235-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hobbs_9-0)** Hobbs, Mo; Arizmendi, M.C.; Rodríguez-Flores, C.; Soberanes-González, C. (2011). Schulenberg, T.S. (ed.). ["Green Violetear (*Colibri thalassinus*)"](https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=238171). *Neotropical Birds Online*. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

- Ridgely, Robert S.; Greenfield, Paul J. (2001). *The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guide*. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8014-8721-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8014-8721-8).

- Ridgely, Robert S.; Greenfield, Paul J. (2001). *The Birds of Ecuador: Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy*. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8014-8720-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8014-8720-X).

- Restall, Robin (2007). [*Birds of Northern South America: An Identification Guide*](https://archive.org/details/birdsofnortherns0001unse). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-300-10862-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-300-10862-0).

- [Green violetear stamps](https://web.archive.org/web/20001122014400/http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/8605500.htm) (for [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), [El Salvador](/source/El_Salvador)) with Range Map at [bird-stamps.org](https://web.archive.org/web/19990428065259/http://www.bird-stamps.org/)

Taxon identifiers Colibri cyanotus Wikidata: Q27074775 Wikispecies: Colibri cyanotus Avibase: 81FC15DDC9AFBB17 BioLib: 1006082 BOW: lesvio1 CoL: 8K3MN eBird: lesvio1 GBIF: 9053125 iNaturalist: 508367 ITIS: 693506 NCBI: 2744922 Neotropical: lesvio1 Observation.org: 798227 Open Tree of Life: 7658788 Xeno-canto: Colibri cyanotus

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lesser violetear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_violetear) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_violetear?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.