The mountain violet-ear
La Ceja, Antioquia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Colibri cyanotus (Lesser violetear / Orejivioláceo menor)
The lesser violetear (Colibri cyanotus), also known as the mountain violet-ear, is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from Costa Rica to northern South America. This species and the Mexican violetear were formerly considered as conspecific and named the 'green violetear'.
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. It is recorded mostly between altitudes of 1,200 to 2,300 m (3,900 to 7,500 ft). It generally prefers more humid and high-altitude areas, such as cloud forests.
The lesser violetear has four sub-species:
C. c. cabanidis (Heine), 1863) - Costa Rica, western Panama
C. c. cyanotus (Bourcier, 1843) - Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, Ecuador
C. c. kerdeli Aveledo & Perez, 1991 - northeastern Venezuela
C. c. crissalis Todd, 1942 - Peru and Bolivia
The mountain violet-ear
La Ceja, Antioquia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
Colibri cyanotus (Lesser violetear / Orejivioláceo menor)
The lesser violetear (Colibri cyanotus), also known as the mountain violet-ear, is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from Costa Rica to northern South America. This species and the Mexican violetear were formerly considered as conspecific and named the 'green violetear'.
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. It is recorded mostly between altitudes of 1,200 to 2,300 m (3,900 to 7,500 ft). It generally prefers more humid and high-altitude areas, such as cloud forests.
The lesser violetear has four sub-species:
C. c. cabanidis (Heine), 1863) - Costa Rica, western Panama
C. c. cyanotus (Bourcier, 1843) - Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, Ecuador
C. c. kerdeli Aveledo & Perez, 1991 - northeastern Venezuela
C. c. crissalis Todd, 1942 - Peru and Bolivia