Lesser Violetear

Appearance

The lesser violetear is roughly medium-sized by hummingbird standards. It averages around 9.7 to 12 cm 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. The body mass can vary from 4.8 to 5.6 g. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 5.8 to 6.8 cm and the tail is 3.5 to 4.3 cm. 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.

Naming

The lesser violetear has four sub-species:
⤷  "C. c. cabanidis", 1863) - Costa Rica, western Panama
⤷  "C. c. cyanotus" - Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, Ecuador
⤷  "C. c. kerdeli" Aveledo & Perez, 1991 - northeastern Venezuela
⤷  "C. c. crissalis" Todd, 1942 - Peru and Bolivia

Distribution

The lesser violetear breeds from the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama; mountains of northern Venezuela, and the Andes from western Venezuela to western Bolivia.

Habitat

Common habitats for the lesser violetear are in the canopy and borders of subtropical and lower temperate forest, 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 1,200 to 2,300 m, though they will sometimes wander as far down as 500 m in search of food sources. It generally prefers more humid and high-altitude areas, such as cloud forests, than the similar 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" trees.

Reproduction

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 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 though the wet season into the early dry season, which varies by latitude.

Food

The lesser violetear forages alone but tends to gather at flowering trees, especially coffee-shade "Inga". They feed at mid-level to canopy 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 during a chase, although other species may be able to attain similar speeds.