Photo: Joseph C Boone / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Violetear
Colibri delphinae
Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) — Hummingbirds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 6.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Colibri
- Species delphinae
Where it lives
Guatemala to northern, western SA and eastern Brazil (Bahia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 6.4 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown Violetear is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Brown Violetear is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) is a member of the Trochilidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Guatemala to n, w SA and e Brazil (Bahia).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.8 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown Violetear?
The Brown Violetear is a very small bird that weighs around 6.4 g.
Where does the Brown Violetear live?
The Brown Violetear is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Guatemala to n, w SA and e Brazil (Bahia), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Brown Violetear belong to?
The Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Brown Violetear eat?
The Brown Violetear is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Brown Violetear migrate?
The Brown Violetear is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown Violetear endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown Violetear make?
1 real field recording of the Brown Violetear — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown Violetear's range?
The Brown Violetear has a mapped global range of about 1.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.