Basilinna leucotis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The white-eared hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from the southwestern U.S. to Nicaragua. The white-eared hummingbird was originally placed in genus Trochilus and then moved to Hylocharis. A study published in 2014 determined that both were in error and it was moved to Basilinna.
The white-eared hummingbird is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long. Males weigh an average of 3.6 g (0.13 oz) and females 3.2 g (0.11 oz). Adults of the three subspecies are very similar. Their bills are straight; males' are red with a black tip and females' are mostly blackish with some red to orange at the base.
Males of the nominate subspecies in breeding plumage have a metallic violet or bluish violet forehead, a mostly black face with a wide white stripe behind the eye, and a dull black crown. Their upperparts are bright metallic green to bronze green and the uppertail coverts more bronzy; the rump and covert feathers have rusty edges. The central pair of tail feathers... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | La Tigra National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Celaque National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 8 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Hummingbird sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 61st most-seen of the 220 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Hummingbird in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months. That is one of Saguaro National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 55 mm in July.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-eared Hummingbird 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 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate White-eared Hummingbird sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca (Mexico, about 80%), La Tigra National Park (Honduras, about 60%) and Celaque National Park (Honduras, about 20%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the White-eared Hummingbird that you can see in Saguaro National Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Anna's Hummingbird (about 30%), Costa's Hummingbird (about 30%) and Broad-billed Hummingbird (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-eared Hummingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Saguaro National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
