0 the green violetear is a medium-sized , metallic green hummingbird species commonly found in forested areas from mexico to nicaragua .
1  this species , together with the lesser violetear were previously considered conspecific , and together called the green violetear .
2 the green violetear belongs to the order apodiformes .
3  hummingbirds share this order with the swifts , such as the white-collared swift .
4  the name apodiformes is derived from the greek words "a pous ," meaning "without foot .
5 " while apidiforms do in fact have feet , they are quite small and their legs are short and relatively weak .
6  many birds in this order cannot walk , and thus rarely if ever land on the ground since quick escape from predators is virtually impossible .
7  for this reason members of this order spend a majority of their time in the air .
8 the mexican violetear is roughly medium-sized by hummingbird standards .
9  it averages around 9.7 to 12 cm (3.8 to 4.7 in) in total length .
10  its bill is black and mostly straight with only a slight downward curve and measures from 1.8 to 2.5 cm (0.71 to 0.98 in) .
11 [2] the body mass can vary from 4.8 to 5.6 g (0.17 to 0.20 oz) .
12  among standard measurements , the wing chord is 5.8 to 6.8 cm (2.3 to 2.7 in) and the tail is 3.5 to 4.3 cm (1.4 to 1.7 in) .
13 it is shining green above with a glittering violet ear-patch on the sides of its neck .
14  its throat and chest are a more glittering green with a shining green belly .
15  the tail is a metallic blue-green with more bronzy central feathers and a prominent black subterminal band .
16 solitary males sing from high , exposed twigs in their territory every day .
17  their song is a monotonously repeated sharp and dry tsu-tzeek at a rate of about one call per second .
18 the mexican violetear breeds from the highlands of southern mexico south to nicaragua .
19  it is a rare but annual nonbreeding visitor to the united states , primarily southern and central texas , with scattered records as far north as extreme southern canada .
20 common habitats for the mexican violetear is in the canopy and borders of subtropical and lower temperate forest , secondary woodland and scrub , and clearings and gardens in the subtropical zone .
21  it is recorded mostly between altitudes of 1,200 to 2,300 m (3,900 to 7,500 ft), though they will sometimes wander as far down as 500 m (1,600 ft) in search of food sources .
22  it generally prefers more humid and high-altitude areas , such as cloud forests .
23 the mexican violetear forages alone but tends to gather at flowering trees , especially coffee-shade inga .
24  they feed at mid-level to canopy and often hold and defend a feeding territory .
25  they primarily feed on nectar and small insects .
26 like most hummingbirds , the mexican violetear is a solitary nester .
27  the males only involvement in the breeding process is to attract and mate with the female .
28  the female is then responsible for choosing a nest location , generally on a low , small horizontal branch in a protected area .
29  the nest is small and built from various plant materials , spider webs , and down woven together to form a sturdy cup structure .
30  two small white eggs are laid within the nest and the female incubates them on her own .
31  incubation time is 1418 days .
32  hatchlings are primarily fed insects due to high nutritional requirements .
33  no information was found on the length of the nestling stage or age at fledgling .
34  breeding takes place though the wet season into the early dry season , which varies by latitude .
