Colibri coruscans
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The sparkling violetear (Colibri coruscans) is a species of hummingbird widespread in highlands of northern and western South America, including a large part of the Andes (from Argentina and northwards), the Venezuelan Coastal Range, and the Tepuis. It occurs in a wide range of semi-open habitats, even in gardens and parks within major cities such as Quito, and is often the most common species of hummingbird in its range. It is highly vocal and territorial.
Other subspecies have been proposed to be separated from those two but that treatment has not been widely accepted. The sparkling violetear is the largest violetear at 13 to 14 cm (5 to 5.5 in) long. Male birds weigh 5.8 to 8.5 g (0.20 to 0.30 oz) and females 6 to 7.5 g (0.21 to 0.26 oz). The nominate male's upperparts are metallic bluish green, the chin bluish violet, the belly blue, and the rest of the underparts green. Long erectile bluish violet plumes cover the ears. The tail is metallic green with a steely blue band near the end. Females are similar but smaller, and often have a white... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 6 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 7 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 8 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Oasi Naturalistica di Sant'Alessio | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 3 | Butterfly World | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sparkling Violetear sighting in Mendoza on a given day, based on 78 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 69 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Sparkling Violetear in Mendoza on a given day, against under 5% in October to February, the lowest months. That is one of Mendoza's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 50 mm in February.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sparkling Violetear sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Sparkling Violetear sightings, Mendoza ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Quito (Ecuador, over 90%), Bogota (Colombia, about 90%) and La Paz (Bolivia, about 60%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Sparkling Violetear that you can see in Mendoza (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Red-tailed Comet (about 50%), Glittering-bellied Emerald (about 30%) and Green-backed Firecrown (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sparkling Violetear is recorded against all the birds logged in Mendoza (78 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
