Mexican Violetears are medium-sized hummingbirds that are metallic green with glittering violet ear patches on the sides of their necks. Their underparts are highly metallic green while their tails are metallic blue-green.
- Colibri thalassinus
- Length: 3.8 – 4.7 in (9.7 – 12 cm)
- Weight: 0.17 – 0.2 oz (4.8 – 5.6 g)
- Wingspan: 4.7 in (12 cm)
Range
Mexican Violetears breed in forests in Mexico, Central America, and Nicaragua, but they can sometimes be found as far south as the mountains of Bolivia and Venezuela.
They are considered rare but annual nonbreeding visitors to the United States, particularly in central and southern Texas. Some individual birds have also strayed into Wisconsin, Michigan and Canada.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Mexican Violetears in montane forest clearings and forest edges in Mexico. Those that have strayed into the United States often find themselves in backyard bird feeders.
Mexican Violetears are content to forage by themselves and help themselves to the nectar of flowering plants. They usually feed from mid-level to canopy heights. Insects and spiders provide protein during the breeding seasons.
At backyard feeders, they drink sugar water out of bird baths and water fountains as they hover.
Mexican Violetear Call:
Nests
Nests of Mexican Violetears are selected and built by the females. They prefer placing nests on low, small horizontal branches. They use plant materials, twigs, spider webs, moss, and lichen. They lay two eggs which they incubate on their own for about fourteen to eighteen days.
Attract
Attract Mexican Violetears to your backyard by providing bright-colored, and scented flower patches. Additional bird baths or fountains with sugar water are sure to be a hit with Mexican Violetears.
Fun Fact:
Mexican Violetears and Lesser Violetears were once considered the same species and were collectively called “Green Violetears”.
