Brown Violetear vs Coast Myall

Colibri delphinae compared with Acacia binervia

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Brown Violetear Coast Myall
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Aves (Birds) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Apodiformes (Apodiformes) Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family Trochilidae Fabaceae
Genus Colibri Acacia
Species Colibri delphinae Acacia binervia

Conservation Status

Brown Violetear

LC — Least Concern

Coast Myall

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Brown Violetear Coast Myall
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Violetear

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Coast Myall

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Brown Violetear

The only predominantly brown hummingbird in the violetear genus, brown violetears have brownish-bronze upper parts and a diagnostic violet-blue ear patch. Found across a broad range of humid forest and forest edge from Guatemala south through Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil to Bolivia. Inhabiting elevations from lowland to 2,000 meters, they are found in forest interior, forest edge, and gardens. Despite relatively drab plumage for a hummingbird, the violet ear patch glitters vividly in direct sunlight.

Coast Myall

Coast myall (Acacia binervia) is a small to medium tree or tall shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to coastal and near-coastal regions of New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia. It grows in coastal heath, dry sclerophyll woodland, and scrubby vegetation on sandy or rocky substrates, often in association with banksias and eucalypts. Like most Australian wattles, coast myall produces phyllodes—flattened leaf-stalks functioning as leaves—rather than true compound leaves in mature plants. The dark green phyllodes are distinctive, with two main veins, giving rise to the species name binervia. Golden-yellow, spherical flower heads are produced in winter to spring, attracting native bees. The genus Acacia sensu lato encompasses hundreds of species across Australia and globally, many of which play important ecological roles in nitrogen cycling through root symbioses. Coast myall is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. It is sometimes planted in coastal revegetation projects for its tolerance of poor, sandy soils, drought, and salt-laden winds.

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