alstonia vs Sparkling Violetear

Alstonia boonei compared with Colibri coruscans

Taxonomic Classification

Rank alstonia Sparkling Violetear
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Aves (Birds)
Order Gentianales (Gentianales) Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family Apocynaceae Trochilidae
Genus Alstonia Colibri
Species Alstonia boonei Colibri coruscans

Conservation Status

alstonia

LC — Least Concern

Sparkling Violetear

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute alstonia Sparkling Violetear
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

alstonia

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 4 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Cameroon and Guinea.

Sparkling Violetear

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

alstonia

The Alstonia (Alstonia boonei) is a species in the genus Alstonia. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 4 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeo. Distributed across Cameroon and Guinea.

Sparkling Violetear

A large, brilliant hummingbird of the Andes and high Venezuelan tepuis, sparkling violetears display glittering blue-green plumage with an iridescent violet-blue ear patch and chin that sparkle intensely in sunlight — delivering on their evocative name. Found at elevations of 1,200–3,000 meters across Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in montane forest and scrub. Among the most common Andean hummingbirds, they are highly aggressive and vocal territory defenders at flower patches.

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