The violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from Mexico to Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The violet sabrewing has two subspecies, the nominate C. h. hemileucurus and C. h. mellitus. Description The violet sabrewing is the largest hummingbird of Mexico and Central America. It is long and weighs . Both sexes have a black bill, though those of subspecies C. h. mellitus are longer than the nominate's. Males of the nominate subspecies have a dusky crown with a bluish green gloss. Their nape and upper back, face, and underparts are metallic violet blue that is somewhat bluer on the belly. Their lower back and uppertail coverts are metallic green. Their central tail feathers are bluish green to bluish black and the rest blackish with wide white tips. Females have a dusky crown and metallic green to bronze green upperparts with a more bluish green rump. They have a violet blue throat. Their underparts are mostly gray with a whiter belly and metallic green spots along the sides and green undertail coverts. Their central tail feathers are bluish green and the rest blacker with wide white tips. Males of subspecies C. h. mellitus have more green on their upperparts than the nominate and almost entirely violet underparts with no blue on the belly. Female's upperparts have a coppery tinge and their throat is violet. Distribution and habitat The nominate subspecies of violet sabrewing is found from the Mexican states of Guerrero and Veracruz intermittently south through Guatemala, southern Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador into northern Nicaragua. Subspecies C. h. mellitus is found most of the length of Costa Rica into western Panama. The species inhabits the edges and interior of humid evergreen montane forest and mature secondary forest, banana plantations, and gardens. In Mexico it generally ranges in elevation between but occurs as high as . In Costa Rica it ranges between . Behavior Movement The violet sabrewing is mostly sedentary but individuals frequently move to lower elevations after the breeding season. Feeding The violet sabrewing feeds on nectar primarily by trap-lining, visiting a circuit of flowering plants. Males occasionally defend patches of flowers and are dominant over other hummingbirds. The species forages mostly in the understory, often on Heliconia, banana (Musa), Cephaelis, and Palicourea though it visits others as well. It frequents nectar (sugar water) feeders and