Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded here, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
LESSER VIOLETEAR – (Species Account Blog #28)
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Caprimulgiformes,
- FAMILY: Trochilidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Colibri cyanotus
Lesser Violetear is locally common in montane regions of southern Central America and of South America, from Costa Rica south to northern Argentina, and east to the coastal mountains of northern Venezuela. All species of violetears (Colibri), including Lesser, have a patch of elongated violet feathers on the sides of the head (hence the English name). Lesser Violetear otherwise is mostly glittering green; most populations have a purely green breast. Lesser Violetear inhabits highland humid forest borders, clearings and highland pastures, and is resident throughout its range. Males often give repetitive call for hours. (from Birds of the World)
OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
After walking out onto the observation platform at the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge in the Talamanca highlands, amongst the many Volcano Hummingbirds, a single Lesser Violetear landed briefly on a branch right in front of me. As I was bringing my camera up to photograph it, the call rang out, “Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher”! After spending a good 10 minutes with that species (and 150+ photos) I again began looking for the Lesser Violetear. Soon, I was able to see and photograph several of them as they seemed unconcerned by our presence. And then the call went out, “Fiery-throated Hummingbird!” … This species would eventually be seen at every stop we made in the Talamanca highlands (excluding Cerro de la Muerte). In fact, their omnipresent chipping almost became annoying.
PHOTO GALLERY
BIRDS & BIRDING IN COSTA RICA WEBSITE LINK: Lesser Violetear
View the three most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 