Violet-crowned Hummingbird
A species of Hummingbird Scientific name : Leucolia violiceps Genus : Hummingbird
Violet-crowned Hummingbird, A species of Hummingbird
Botanical name: Leucolia violiceps
Genus: Hummingbird
Content
Description General Info
Description
The violet-crowned hummingbird (Leucolia violiceps) is a medium-sized hummingbird. It is 10 cm long and weighs approximately 5 g. The bird is best distinguished by its violet-colored cap, from where it gets its name. Adults are colored predominantly a dark olive green for their upperparts and tail. The underparts are predominantly white. The bill of the male is straight and very slender. It is red in coloration, and shows a black tip. The female is less colorful than the male. The breeding habitat is in arid scrub of southeastern Arizona in the United States to southwestern Mexico, (the Madrean Sky Islands), and it is typically a mountain species. Outside its breeding range, it will occasionally stray from southernmost California to southwest Texas. The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree. Females lay two white eggs. This hummingbird is partially migratory, retreating from northernmost areas during the winter. These birds feed on nectar from flowers and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing. This species was formerly placed in the genus Amazilia. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Amazilia was polyphyletic. In the revised classification to create monophyletic genera, the violet-crowned hummingbird was one of three species to be placed in the resurrected genus Leucolia. 
Size
11-11 cm (4.25-4.5 in)
Life Expectancy
6-6.1 years
Nest Placement
Tree
Clutch Size
2 eggs
Feeding Habits
Violet-crowned Hummingbird primarily feeds on nectar from a variety of plants, including agave and ocotillo, and catches insects and spiders. Violet-crowned Hummingbird forages in the mid to high canopy and will use hummingbird feeders.
Habitat
Violet-crowned Hummingbird are typically found in sycamore groves, canyons, and along streamsides. They favor habitats at elevations between 3,940 to 5,600 feet in the United States, nesting chiefly in Arizona sycamores. Their chosen environment includes a blend of Fremont cottonwood, willows, and various local trees. In summer, they may ascend to pine-oak-juniper woodlands and visit gardens or feeders. In Mexico, violet-crowned Hummingbird's habitat range widens from 660 to 7,900 feet elevation, encompassing thorn forests, grassy slopes, deciduous woods, and urban areas.
Nest Behavior
Violet-crowned Hummingbird’s female solely constructs the nest and exhibits solitary care for the eggs and chicks.
Nest Characteristics
Violet-crowned Hummingbird nests typically at the end of a branch, frequently a sycamore, up to 40 feet high. They build with white plant down and spiderwebs, decorating with lichens, seeds, leaves outside. Nests are 1.6 inches wide, 1 inch tall, with a 0.8-inch cup.
Dite type
Nectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird Feeder Type
Nectar Feeder
Behavior
Violet-crowned Hummingbird engage in an array of behaviors including territorial singing and dazzling mating flights at dawn, often within a collective of males attempting to attract females. These solitary nesters display no pair bonding, with both sexes mating promiscuously. Post-mating, females alone construct nests, shield them and rear the young. Violet-crowned Hummingbird's adapt their foraging strategy based on the presence of larger competitors, utilizing 'traplining' methods to swiftly visit known food sources or, when dominant, vigorously defend a single nectar source. Occasionally, hundreds of violet-crowned Hummingbird may convene to exploit abundant resources, demonstrating both competitive and cooperative feeding dynamics within their habitats.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Swifts and hummingbirds Family
Hummingbirds Genus
Hummingbird Species
Violet-crowned Hummingbird 
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