chases other hummingbirds from them. In addition to nectar, violet sabrewings also eat arthropods gleaned from foliage and spiderwebs. Breeding The violet sabrewing breeds during the local rainy season, which ranges from June to September in Mexico and May to November in Costa Rica. In the latter country they may raise two broods. Males court females by singing in leks, typically in the understory or at the forest edge. The nest is a cup of moss cemented with spiderweb and lined with fine fibers. In Costa Rica it is often built above a ravine or stream, on a horizontal branch above the ground. The female incubates the clutch of two eggs for 19 to 22 days and fledging occurs 22 to 24 days after hatch. Vocalization The violet sabrewing's song has been described as "cheep tsew cheep tik-tik tsew cheep ..., high-pitched, piercing and ventriloquial" and as "varied, loud, sharp chipping and warbles, often punctuated with fairly shrill, slightly explosive notes". Its calls are "high, sharp chippering", "prolonged, hard chipping", and "single sharp chips given in flight." Status The IUCN has assessed the violet sabrewing as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range and a population of at least 50,000 mature individuals, though the latter is believed to be decreasing. No specific threats have been identified. "This species can tolerate habitat disturbance, however, as long as some forest cover or tall second growth persists." References External links Violet sabrewing Stamps (with Range Map) at birdstamps.org Campylopterus Birds of Mexico Hummingbird species of Central America Birds described in 1830