Brown Violetear vs Meller’s Mongoose

Colibri delphinae compared with Rhynchogale melleri

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Violetear	Meller’s Mongoose
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Trochilidae	Herpestidae
Genus	Colibri	Rhynchogale
Species	Colibri delphinae	Rhynchogale melleri

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown Violetear and Meller’s Mongoose share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Brown Violetear

LC — Least Concern

Meller’s Mongoose

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Violetear	Meller’s Mongoose
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.

Meller’s Mongoose

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.