White-eared Hummingbirds measure 3.5–4.3 inches and weigh 3.2–3.6 grams. Males show a metallic violet forehead, a black facial mask edged by a broad white post-ocular stripe, and green-bronze upperparts; females are paler with only hints of violet on the head. In Arizona, the northern subspecies B. l. borealis turns up irregularly in the pine–oak riparian canyons and at backyard feeders of the Madrean Sky Islands—records date back to 1894—but confirmed nesting remains exceedingly rare. They sip nectar from agave, desert willow, and ocotillo flowers, glean small insects for protein, and often defend rich feeding territories in spring and summer.
