Last year, to the day, a pair of these extremely rare birds turned up at the Simon's feeder. They were seen by 50 birders. The Simons were away from town that day, but when they returned May 9, the bird was there. Green violet-ears are tropical species. Most records in this country, according to the third edition of the National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America, occur in the hill country in summer.
Adult males are dark green over all with blue violet patches on face and breast.
Females and immature birds are duller in color. The green violet-ear appears large when seen with rubythroats. This is primarily a highland bird which prefers areas from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, with profusely flowering plants. Its range extends from Jalisco and the highlands of central and southern Mexico to Central America, Peru and Bolivia. Phyllis Yochem, a resident of Corpus Christi, has studied birds here since 1960.