<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='356912'>White-eared Hummingbird

En bref

Migratrice

• Scientific Name: Basilinna leucotis
• Spanish Name: Colibrí orejiblanco
• Famille : Trochilidae
• Known Nicknames: White-eared sapphire, Colibri orejiblanco
• Average Length: 9–10 cm / 3.5–3.9 in
• Average Weight: 3.2–3.8 g / 0.11–0.13 oz
• Wingspan: 12–14 cm / 4.7–5.5 in
• Key Feature: Bold, broad white ear-stripe contrasting with a dark head, and a bright red bill with a black tip
• Primary Diet: Nectarivore (primarily nectar from flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders)
• Range: Montane regions of Mexico and Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua), with occasional breeding or vagrancy in the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas)
• Habitat: Pine-oak forests, humid montane forests, clearings, and forest edges at elevations of 1,200 to 3,000 meters
• Structure sociale : Solitaire et très territorial
• Nesting/Breeding: Cup nest made of plant fibers, moss, and lichen, bound with spider silk on a low shrub or tree branch
• Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
• Évolution démographique : Stable

The White-eared Hummingbird (*Basilinna leucotis*) is a captivating, medium-sized avian gem native to the pine-oak mountain forests of Mexico and Central America, occasionally venturing into the southwestern United States. True to its name, this species is instantly recognizable by its most defining feature: a bold, snow-white stripe sweeping backward from behind its eye, starkly contrasting against a dark, masked face. Males boast a dazzling palette, featuring a glittering turquoise-green throat, a violet-blue crown, iridescent green upperparts, and a brilliant orange-red bill tipped in black, while females display a more subdued, speckled green-and-white underside while still retaining the signature white ear-stripe. Despite their diminutive size, these feisty pollinators are remarkably territorial, aggressively defending nectar sources with a series of sharp, metallic chipping calls and displaying breathtaking aerial acrobatics that make them a true marvel to observe.

Faits amusants

Despite its small size, this feisty bird is a notorious bully, routinely chasing away much larger hummingbird species from feeding territories while emitting a metallic song that sounds remarkably like scissors snipping or pebbles clicking together. To survive freezing mountain nights, it can drop its body temperature to near-freezing in a state of deep torpor, effectively putting itself into a temporary hibernation. When nesting, females act as master architects, stealing sticky spiderwebs to bind moss and lichen to their nests, perfectly camouflaging them to look like ordinary tree knots.

Habitats et répartition

This species is primarily distributed throughout the highlands of Mexico and northern Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Its range also extends northward into the southwestern United States, where it serves as a regular, seasonal visitor and occasional breeder in the mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western Texas.

It predominantly inhabits montane pine-oak forests, mixed coniferous-deciduous woodlands, and humid evergreen forests, typically at elevations ranging from 1,200 to over 3,000 meters. Within these mountainous regions, it is frequently found in forest clearings, edges, canyons, and brushy hillsides, and it readily visits suburban gardens and parks containing abundant nectar-producing flowers.

Comportements & Reproduction

Highly territorial and aggressive, these solitary birds vigorously defend feeding territories from both rivals and larger species. During the breeding season, males abandon their isolation to form loose assemblies known as leks, where several individuals perch close to one another in the understory and sing persistent, metallic songs to attract females. This lekking behavior is a key reproductive strategy, allowing females to visit these singing assemblies, select a mate based on vocalizations and displays, and then depart to nest independently.

As polygynous breeders, males play no role in nesting or offspring care after copulation. The female single-handedly constructs a compact, cup-shaped nest using plant down, moss, and spider silk, camouflaging the exterior with lichens to protect it from predators. She typically lays a clutch of two tiny white eggs, incubating them for roughly two weeks, and raises the chicks on a nutrient-rich diet of regurgitated insects and nectar until they fledge.

Alimentation

The White-eared Hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) feeds primarily on sucrose-rich nectar obtained from a variety of brightly colored, tubular flowers—particularly red species such as salvias, penstemons, and honeysuckles—supplementing this liquid diet with small insects and spiders to obtain essential proteins and minerals. To sustain its exceptionally high metabolism, this tiny bird must consume roughly half its body weight in nectar daily, requiring it to feed every ten to fifteen minutes and visit hundreds of flowers each day. An intriguing aspect of its foraging behavior is its intense territoriality; despite its small size, the White-eared Hummingbird aggressively defends prime nectar sources and artificial feeders, often successfully chasing away much larger hummingbird species. Furthermore, when encountering flowers with tubes too deep for its bill, it occasionally engages in "nectar robbing" by piercing the base of the flower to steal the nectar directly, bypassing the plant's natural pollination mechanism.

Couleurs

The White-eared Hummingbird is defined by a striking, broad white stripe behind its eye, set against a dark facial mask and a bright red, black-tipped bill. Males display brilliant iridescent green upperparts, a glittering violet-blue throat and forehead, and a green breast, while females are duller with heavily speckled green-and-white underparts. This shimmering green plumage offers excellent camouflage against lush foliage, while the bold white ear stripe serves as a disruptive marking that breaks up their facial outline.