Lesser violetear

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 south to the Andes and Argentina and east to Venezuela. This species and the Mexican violetear were formerly considered as conspecific and named the 'green violetear'.

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Distribution

Region

Central America and Northern Andes

Typical Environment

Occurs from Costa Rica and western Panama south through the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and into Bolivia, with populations east to Venezuela. It favors humid montane and cloud forests, forest edges, and semi-open highland habitats including clearings and gardens. Common around flowering shrubs and canopy gaps where nectar is abundant. Often descends to foothills after blooming shifts or moves upslope during peak flowering in the wet season.

Altitude Range

600–3500 m

Climate Zone

Highland

Characteristics

Size10–12 cm

Wing Span12–15 cm

Male Weight0.0055 kg

Female Weight0.005 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

Formerly lumped with the Mexican violetear as the 'green violetear', it is now recognized as a separate species. Males often defend rich flower patches and sing persistently from exposed perches. Its shimmering violet ear patches are flashed during aggressive and courtship displays. As an important pollinator, it visits a wide variety of highland flowers.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

territorial and assertive

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with agile hovering

Social Behavior

Typically solitary while foraging but gathers loosely where flowers are abundant. Males sing from exposed perches and engage in aerial chases to defend nectar sources. The nest is a small cup of plant fibers and spider silk placed on a horizontal branch, usually in shaded forest edge.

Migratory Pattern

Partial migrant

Song Description

Male delivers a persistent, metallic, tinkling series from a high perch. Calls include sharp chips and buzzy trills, often repeated for long periods.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Lesser whistling duck

The lesser whistling duck, also known as Indian whistling duck or lesser whistling teal, is a species of whistling duck that breeds in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are nocturnal feeders that during the day may be found in flocks around lakes and wet paddy fields. They can perch on trees and sometimes build their nest in the hollow of a tree. This brown and long-necked duck has broad wings that are visible in flight and produces a loud two-note wheezy call. It has a chestnut rump, differentiating it from its larger relative, the fulvous whistling duck, which has a creamy white rump.

Lesser yellow-headed vulture

The lesser yellow-headed vulture also known as the savannah vulture, is a species of bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the greater yellow-headed vulture until they were split in 1964. It is found in Mexico, Central America, and South America in seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. It is a large bird, with a wingspan of 150–165 cm (59–65 in). The body plumage is black, and the head and neck, which are featherless, are pale orange with red or blue areas. It lacks a syrinx, so therefore its vocalizations are limited to grunts or low hisses.