FAMILY TROCHILIDAE 2CjI 



COLIBRI THALASSINNUS CABANIDIS (Heine): Green Violet-ear, 

 Colibri Orejiviolaceo Verde 



Petasophora Cabanidis Heine, Journ. fur Orn., vol. 11, pt. 3, May 1863, p. 182. 

 (Costa Rica.) 



Green, of medium size, with a prominent violet patch on the 

 side of the head. 



Description. — Length 105-118 mm. Male, above metallic green 

 to bronzy green, including wing coverts and central rectrices ; outer 

 rectrices greenish blue, all (including the middle pair) with a sub- 

 terminal band of dull black ; wings dusky with a sheen of purple, or 

 dull brown with a faint coppery sheen ; side of head banded promi- 

 nently with violet-blue ; foreneck bright metallic green, each feather 

 with a bluish black central spot ; rest of under surface, including 

 under wing coverts, duller green, with the breast glossed with blue ; 

 femoral tufts white; under tail coverts bordered with dull buff to 

 grayish buff. 



Female and immature similar, but throat and breast duller. 



A male, taken March 2, 1965, on the slopes of Volcan Baru, had 

 the iris dark brown ; bill black ; tarsus and toes fuscous-black, claws 

 black. In another male secured at the same point the following day it 

 was noted that the tongue and inside of the mouth were deep black. 



Measurements. — Males (15 from Costa Rica and Panama), wing 

 63.4-68.8 (65.7), tail 38.1-43.1 (40.2), culmen from base 21.5-25.5 

 (23.6, average of 14) mm. 



Females (8 from Costa Rica and Panama) wing 58.2-63.5 (60.1), 

 tail 35.5-38.3 (367), culmen from base 20.2-24.3 (22.6) mm. 



Weight, 2 males 5.1, 5.47 grams; 1 female 4.8 grams. (Hartman. 

 Auk, 1954, p. 468.) 



Resident. Common in the mountains of Chiriqui and Veraguas, 

 in the Subtropical Zone, from 1,350 to 2,100 meters, rarely to 2,650 

 meters on the west face of Volcan Baru. 



Records are as follows: Chiriqui (Cerro Pando, west face of 

 Volcan Baru, Cerro Punta, mountains above Boquete) ; Veraguas 

 (Chitra, Calovevora). 



This is a species of the open mountain slopes, found where shrub 

 and tree growth is scattered or open. In such areas it feeds at 

 flowers, or at times on gnats dancing in the air. I have found them 

 especially common above the lava flow on the west base of Volcan 

 Baru when the tall stalks of the yuccas had open flowers. 



In adult males the lower feathers on the throat are slightly 

 elongated and may be raised to form a ruff on the base of the neck, 



