Violet Sabrewing

Violet Sabrewing

Campylopterus hemileucurus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at San José

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

200 Verified sightings at San José
16,647 In all 21 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Violet Sabrewing

The violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of the subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from Mexico to Panama. The violet sabrewing is the largest hummingbird of Mexico and Central America. It is 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 9 to 12 g (0.32 to 0.42 oz). Both sexes have a black bill, though those of subspecies C. h. mellitus are longer than the nominate's. Males of the nominate subspecies have a dusky crown with a bluish green gloss. Their nape and upper back, face, and underparts are metallic violet blue that is somewhat bluer on the belly. Their lower back and uppertail coverts are metallic green. Their central tail feathers are bluish green to bluish black and the rest blackish with wide white tips. Females have a dusky crown and metallic green to bronze green upperparts with a more bluish green rump. They have a violet blue throat. Their underparts are mostly gray with a whiter belly and metallic green spots along the sides and green undertail coverts. Their... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:15

Guatemala · 2015

© Max Noack · XC502335 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:26

Costa Rica · 2019

© GABRIEL LEITE · XC490002 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:35

Costa Rica · 2019

© Brendan Sloan · XC486844 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~80%
2 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~60%
3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
4 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
5 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
6 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
7 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
8 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
9 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
10 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
11 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
12 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
13 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
14 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
15 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
17 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
18 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
19 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
20 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
2 San Salvador 🇸🇻 El Salvador
<5%
3 San Pedro Sula 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 La Paz Waterfall Gardens 🇨🇷 Costa Rica In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Violet Sabrewing in San José?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Sabrewing sighting in San José on a given day, based on 200 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 178th most-seen of the 379 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Violet Sabrewing in San José?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Sabrewing in San José on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Violet Sabrewing?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Violet Sabrewing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is San José the best place to see a Violet Sabrewing?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Violet Sabrewing sightings, San José has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come San Salvador (El Salvador, under 5%) and San Pedro Sula (Honduras, under 5%).

Where does the Violet Sabrewing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Violet Sabrewing is recorded against all the birds logged in San José (200 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.

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