The Brown Violetear (*Colibri delphinae*) is a medium-sized hummingbird found across the highlands and forested foothills of Central and South America, ranging from Guatemala and Belize south through Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. It is the only member of the genus *Colibri* lacking vivid green or blue-green plumage — instead, it is clothed in warm brown and bronze tones on the upperparts and breast, with a whitish or pale buff belly streaked with dusky markings. Like its violetear relatives, it bears the distinctive violet-purple ear patch (the "violetear") on each side of the face, which contrasts sharply with its otherwise understated coloration. The throat displays an iridescent violet-blue gorget, adding a flash of color to an otherwise cryptically colored bird. It has a slightly decurved black bill suited to feeding on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, and like many hummingbirds, it is also an avid insect catcher. The Brown Violetear tends to favor forest edges, clearings, and shrubby habitats at mid to high elevations, and males are known to sing persistently from exposed perches — a repeated, monotonous chirping call used to defend feeding territories.
