Photo by: Ernesto Perez
WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD – (Basilinna leucotis)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Basilinna
Species: B. leucotis
The White-eared hummingbird resides from Nicaragua in Central America all the way up to northern Mexico.
They occasionally breed in the southwestern United States in New Mexico and Texas.
Hylocharis leucotis, the scientific name for the White-eared hummingbird, is formed from the Latin words hylo, which means “wood or matter,” and charis, which is derived from a Greek term meaning goddesses of beauty and elegance.
Leuco, means “white or without color,” and otis, means “ear.”
Male
White-Eared Hummingbirds:
The male White-eared hummingbird’s back varies from Granny Smith green to dark emerald, with iridescent blue patches on the gorget and chest.
Its throat and crown may appear black in low light. A bold white stripe runs from eye to neck.
The bill is half black and half red, shorter than the typical hummingbird bill.
They have a length of 3.5–3.9 inches and a weight of 3–4 grams.
The metal plate that shields the wearer’s throat during combat to prevent injuries is the inspiration behind the name of the gorget on a male hummingbird.
This name is acceptable and fitting to characterize the physical characteristics of male hummingbirds, since they fight fiercely for their own territory.
Read my article:
Hummingbird Gorgets Explained
Photo by: jordanmartin_photography
Photo by: jordanmartin_photography
Female
White-Eared Hummingbirds:
The female White-eared hummingbird is smaller in size and less vividly colored compared to the male.
Her upper parts are mostly a bronzy dull green, which helps with camouflage in her natural habitats.
The white stripe behind the eye for which the species is named is a more subtle and diffused grayish-white patch.
She is among the medium-sized hummingbirds weighing 3 to 4 grams with a length of 9 to 10 centimeters from the tip of her beak to the end of her tail.
Female White-eared hummingbirds raise their young with no help from the males.
See my article:
Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)
Juvenile
White-Eared Hummingbirds:
Both male and female White-eared hummingbirds look more like adult females until they are differentiated as the male begins to acquire an iridescent turquoise on their throats.
They possess a distinct and noticeable thick white stripe that spans from the eye to the neck that is typical of this species of hummingbird.
As juveniles molt into their first full set of feathers, the fluffy white undertail coverts become visible. These feathers are a distinguishing feature and are often more prominent due to their soft texture.
Photo by: Anthony Lujan
Baby
White-Eared Hummingbirds:
Baby White-eared hummingbirds are born naked with their eyes closed. They grow quickly, developing gray down within a few days.
By 2–3 weeks, pin feathers emerge, and their plumage starts showing. Fed by regurgitated nectar and insects from their mother, they fledge the nest at about 3 weeks old.
See my article:
Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)
Hear the sounds of the White-eared hummingbird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology link).
White-eared hummingbirds are found in a variety of habitats, ranging from mountainous regions to forested areas.
Their habitat consists of pine-oak forests with tropical dry and moist coniferous forests. These climates provide constant rainfall with humidity, warm summers and colder winters.
White-eared hummingbirds are known for their territorial nature, especially around feeding areas. Males are particularly aggressive in defending territories against other males and sometimes even larger bird species.
Their flight skills are remarkable, capable of rapid directional changes and hovering with precision.
See my article:
Why Hummingbirds Chase Each Other: Is it Friend or Foe?
While some populations of White-eared hummingbirds are resident in their habitats year-round, others undertake migrations.
Birds in the northern part of their range often migrate southward during the colder months, returning north again for the breeding season.
Hummingbird feeders filled with homemade sugar water attract White-eared hummingbirds, who are frequently welcomed visitors in gardens.
Ready my article:
Forget Commercial Hummingbird Food, Try Making Homemade Nectar
They captivate birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts while playing a vital role in the ecosystem as key pollinators.