Colibri thalassinus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
The Mexican violetear belongs to the order Apodiformes. Hummingbirds share this order with the swifts, such as the white-collared swift. The name Apodiformes is derived from the Greek words "a pous", meaning "without foot". While apodiforms do in fact have feet, they are quite small and their legs are short and relatively weak. Many birds in this order cannot walk, and thus rarely if ever land on the ground, where they are not well-adapted to forage or to escape from predators. Members of this order spend a majority of their active time in the air.
The Mexican violetear is roughly medium-sized by hummingbird standards. It averages around 9.7 to 12 cm (3.8 to 4.7 in) in total length. Its bill is black and mostly straight with only a slight downward curve and measures from 1.8 to 2.5 cm (0.71 to 0.98 in). The body mass can vary from 4.8 to 5.6 g (0.17 to 0.20 oz). Among... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Violetear sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 365 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 136th most-seen of the 332 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Violetear in Mexico City on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months. Those are among Mexico City's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in December.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mexican Violetear sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Mexican Violetear sightings, Mexico City has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Guatemala City (Guatemala, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Mexican Violetear that you can see in Mexico City (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Berylline Hummingbird (about 60%), Broad-billed Hummingbird (about 50%) and White-eared Hummingbird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mexican Violetear is recorded against all the birds logged in Mexico City (365 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.
