Brown Violetear
Colibri delphinae
- Family
- Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
- Order
- Apodiformes
Overview
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.
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.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Belize and Guatemala to the Guianas, Brazil, and Bolivia.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Brown violetear
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
