Brown Violetear
Colibri delphinae
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyTrochilidae (Hummingbirds)
- GenusColibri
- SpeciesColibri delphinae (Brown Violetear)
The brown violetear (Colibri delphinae) is a large hummingbird that breeds at middle elevations in the mountains in Central America, and western and northern South America (primarily the Andes and the tepuis) with isolated populations on Trinidad and in the Brazilian state Bahia. The breeding habitat is forest at altitudes between 400 and 1600 m, but the brown Violet-ear will spread widely into the lowlands when not nesting. It is replaced at higher altitudes by its relative, the lesser violetear (C. cyanotus), but their ranges overlap widely. The brown violetear is typically found high in the canopy of the rainforest, tall second growth and coffee plantations, but it will feed at lower levels at edges and clearings. The nest is a small cup of plant down saddled on a twig 1–3 m. high in a bush, into which two white eggs are laid. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Violetear sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park, based on 78 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Braulio Carrillo National Park
Lesser Violetear
Colibri cyanotus
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Long-billed Hermit
Phaethornis longirostris
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Klais guimeti
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Chalybura urochrysia
White-necked Jacobin
Florisuga mellivora
Violet-crowned Woodnymph
Thalurania colombica
Stripe-throated Hermit
Phaethornis striigularis
Green Hermit
Phaethornis guy
Purple-crowned Fairy
Heliothryx barroti
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Polyerata amabilis
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Phaeochroa cuvierii
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown Violetear in Braulio Carrillo National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Violetear sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park, based on 78 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown Violetear in Braulio Carrillo National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Brown Violetear in Braulio Carrillo National Park in our monthly data.