Violet-headed Hummingbird
Violet-headed HummingbirdViolet-headed HummingbirdViolet-headed HummingbirdViolet-headed Hummingbird

Violet-headed Hummingbird

Klais guimeti

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
101 Verified sightings at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
11,685 Verified sightings across all 28 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Violet-headed Hummingbird

The violet-headed hummingbird (Klais guimeti) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is the only species in the genus Klais. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and heavily degraded former forest.

The violet-headed hummingbird was formally described in 1843 by the French ornithologist Jules Bourcier from specimens collected near Caracas in Venezuela. Bourcier coined the binomial name Trochilus guimeti. The violet-headed hummingbird is now the only species placed in the genus Klais that was introduced in 1854 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach. The genus is named after Kleis (or Cleis), the daughter of the Lesbian poet Sappho. The specific name was chosen to honour the French chemist Jean-Baptiste Guimet.

Three subspecies are recognised: K. g. merrittii (Lawrence, 1860) – east Honduras to east Panama K. g. guimeti (Bourcier, 1843) – east Colombia and north Venezuela to east Ecuador and extreme north Peru K. g. pallidiventris Stolzmann, 1926 – east Peru and west Bolivia

Violet-headed hummingbirds are on average 8.1 cm (3.2 in) in length with a... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Lesser Violetear

Lesser Violetear

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Colibri cyanotus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Purple-throated Mountain-gem
LC

Purple-throated Mountain-gem

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lampornis calolaemus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
LC

Stripe-tailed Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eupherusa eximia

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Violet Sabrewing
LC

Violet Sabrewing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylopterus hemileucurus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Coppery-headed Emerald
Endemic

Coppery-headed Emerald

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Microchera cupreiceps

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Green-crowned Brilliant
LC

Green-crowned Brilliant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Heliodoxa jacula

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Magenta-throated Woodstar
LC

Magenta-throated Woodstar

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calliphlox bryantae

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Blue-vented Hummingbird

Blue-vented Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saucerottia hoffmanni

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Green Hermit
LC

Green Hermit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phaethornis guy

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
LC

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazilia tzacatl

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Canivet's Emerald
LC

Canivet's Emerald

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cynanthus canivetii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Snowcap
LC

Snowcap

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Microchera albocoronata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
2 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
3 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
4 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
5 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
6 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
7 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
8 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
9 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
12 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
13 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
14 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
15 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
17 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
18 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
19 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
20 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
22 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
23 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
24 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
25 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
26 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
27 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
28 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Violet-headed Hummingbird in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Violet-headed Hummingbird sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, based on 101 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Violet-headed Hummingbird in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve?

November has the highest sighting rate for Violet-headed Hummingbird in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in our monthly data.

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