Green violet-ear Hummingbird

Green violet-ear Hummingbird
Although its range extends from Mexico south into South America, the Green Violet-ear has not been recorded as a breeder in the United States. Nonetheless, rarely a year goes by without multiple sightings in widely scattered locales in the eastern U.S, and even Canada. As a vagrant, this species is most expected in the hill country of central Texas. Elsewhere, the species is pretty much a "lottery bird". Although the location of its visits are far-flung and completely random, their timing seems to fall into a pattern, with the majority of reports coming in summer. This differs from the pattern of vagrancy of most of the other 'Mexican' hummers which occur in the East, whose arrivals are generally noted in fall or winter. The identification of adult male Green Violet-ears is relatively straightforward, given good looks. Sizewise, this species absolutely dwarfs smaller hummers such as ruby-throats. It is roughly the size of the Buff-bellied hummingbird, although it appears much larger due to the overall darkness of its coloration. In terms of color, this bird lives up to its descriptive name. The auriculars are a rich bluish-purple, set against a field of dark, deep green. There is a wash of bluish-purple across the chest, which is variable in extent and tint depending upon lighting. In fact, almost the entire bird seems iridescent in good lighting, making good descriptions difficult to render. In poor light, the bird can appear entirely dark, but with a good view, the true boundaries of its color scheme can be easier to define than in bright light. Unlike the Magnificent Hummingbird, which also appears all dark in certain light, the Green Violet-ear does not have a pale area around the eye. This difference should allow for quick separation between the two species, even given a less-than-perfect look. The long tail is swished often, and forcefully, in flight. The rectrices are a slightly paler shade than the body, bluish-green with a darker, bluish subterminal band. The tip of the tail is slightly paler than the base.