White-tufted Sunbeam vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Aglaeactis castelnaudii compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-tufted Sunbeam | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aglaeactis castelnaudii | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 14.8 cm (5.8 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 7.35 g (0.26 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Peruvian high-altitude scrub; forages at Chuquiraga and Ericaceae blooms. Supplements with small arthropods. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
White-tufted Sunbeam
Melodic, pure ascending phrase; clear flute-like tones rising smoothly in quiet musical sequence at high altitude.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-tufted Sunbeam
Endemic to Peru in high Andean puna and scrub, primarily in the Apurímac and Ayacucho regions. 3,200–5,000 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
White-tufted Sunbeam
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
White-tufted Sunbeam
Golden-breasted Puffleg: males with glittering golden-green gorget; metallic bronze-green above; females green above; spotted below
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
About These Birds
White-tufted Sunbeam
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia at 2,700-4,000 m. Coppery plumage with white breast tufts visible during courtship display. Nectarivore of montane scrub and Polylepis woodland. A Peruvian-Bolivian endemic.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.