Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mexican Violetear

Colibri thalassinus (Swainson, 1827)

9.7–12 cmLength5.9 gWeight

The Mexican violetear (Colibri thalassinus) is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from Mexico to Nicaragua.

Busiest months: November–January · Most records: Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November–January · Most records: Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador

Mexican Violetear has been recorded at 55 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Parque Regional Municipal Zunil – Fuentes GeorginasGuatemala471 records
  2. Cabañas y Restaurante Puesta del SolMexico435 records
  3. PN Los Volcanes – Sector Cerro VerdeEl Salvador407 records
More places
  1. PN El BoquerónEl Salvador319 records
  2. Laguna del BosqueGuatemala262 records
  3. Restaurante Rincón Suizo – sendero en bosque de pino-encinoGuatemala208 records
  4. Zamorano Univ. – Res. Biol. UyucaHonduras170 records
  5. Parque Ecológico El HayaMexico146 records
  6. Godinez – Aldea Los RoblesGuatemala125 records
  7. Finca Rubel ChaimGuatemala120 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GuatemalaMexicoEl SalvadorHondurasUnited StatesNicaragua

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Mexican violetear (Colibri thalassinus) is a medium-sized, metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from Mexico to Nicaragua. This species, together with the lesser violetear were previously considered conspecific, and together called the green violetear.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Mexican Violetear?

The Mexican Violetear is about 9.7–12 cm long and weighs around 5.9 g.

Where does the Mexican Violetear live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: central Mexico to north-central Nicaragua. It is most often recorded in Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador.

When is the best time to see the Mexican Violetear?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Mexican Violetear endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mexican Violetear as Least Concern.

What does the Mexican Violetear eat?

Main food: Nectar.

What family is the Mexican Violetear in?

It belongs to the family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Length
9.7–12 cm
Weight
5.9 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Nectar
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
63 mm
Tail
42 mm
Bill
24 mm
Tarsus
6 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: central Mexico to north-central Nicaragua

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Hummingbirds Trochilidae
Genus
Colibri

Other birds in the genus Colibri

Brown VioletearBrown VioletearColibri delphinaeLesser VioletearLesser VioletearColibri cyanotusSparkling VioletearSparkling VioletearColibri coruscansWhite-vented VioletearWhite-vented VioletearColibri serrirostrisCrimson TopazCrimson TopazTopaza pellaFiery TopazFiery TopazTopaza pyraWhite-necked JacobinWhite-necked JacobinFlorisuga mellivoraBlack JacobinBlack JacobinFlorisuga fuscaWhite-tipped SicklebillWhite-tipped SicklebillEutoxeres aquilaBuff-tailed SicklebillBuff-tailed SicklebillEutoxeres condamini
Mexican Violetear

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Joseph Connors. ↗

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