About Leucolia violiceps (Gould, 1859)
Leucolia violiceps, commonly called the violet-crowned hummingbird, measures 10 to 11.5 cm (3.9 to 4.5 in) in length and weighs 5.1 to 5.8 g (0.18 to 0.20 oz). Both sexes of all its recognized subspecies have a bright red bill, which sometimes has a black tip. For adult males of the nominate subspecies, the crown is an intense violet-blue, the hindneck is bluish violet, and the back and rump are dull grayish brown to greenish brown. The tail is coppery bronze, and the underside from the throat to the undertail coverts is pure white with light olive green flanks. Adult females are virtually identical to males, though they are generally somewhat duller overall. Males of the subspecies L. v. ellioti are similar to the nominate subspecies, but their crown is more turquoise blue and their tail is greenish bronze. Females of this subspecies are again almost identical to males of the same subspecies, but are duller in color. The subspecies L. v. ellioti is the more northern of the two. It is found from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico in the United States, south into Mexico to the states of Michoacán and Hidalgo; it possibly ranges as far south as the states of Puebla and México. In Arizona and New Mexico, it occurs almost entirely between 1,200 and 1,700 m (3,900 and 5,600 ft) in elevation. In Sonora, it occurs between 200 and 1,300 m (660 and 4,300 ft), and its elevational range extends further south. The nominate subspecies L. v. violiceps is found from extreme eastern and southern Michoacán south into northwestern Oaxaca. In the southern part of its range it is typically found between 200 and 1,400 m (660 and 4,600 ft), but its overall elevational range spans from sea level to 2,400 m (7,900 ft). The nominate subspecies and the southern population of ellioti inhabit a variety of landscapes, including riparian corridors in thorn scrub, deciduous forest, pine-oak forest, fields, orchards, and urban and suburban parks and gardens.
