Brown Violetear vs Cole's Wattle

Colibri delphinae compared with Acacia colei

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Brown Violetear Cole's Wattle
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 colei

Conservation Status

Brown Violetear

LC — Least Concern

Cole's Wattle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Brown Violetear Cole's Wattle
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.

Cole's Wattle

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Kenya and Tanzania.

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.

Cole's Wattle

<em>Acacia colei</em>, commonly known as Cole's Wattle, is a tree or shrub in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Mimosoideae. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not currently at elevated risk of extinction. It is documented in Kenya and Tanzania, where it is associated with tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Afrotropic realm. Like many acacias, <em>Acacia colei</em> is likely adapted to seasonally dry conditions, which are characteristic of the East African savanna ecosystems it inhabits. Members of the genus <em>Acacia</em> often play important ecological roles, providing shade, food, and habitat for a range of animals, and some fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic associations with soil bacteria. Diet, population estimates, and biological measurements including length, weight, and lifespan are not specified in available data for this species. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. Its Least Concern status reflects a relatively stable population in East African savanna landscapes.

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