Venezuelan Sylph vs Allen's Hummingbird

Aglaiocercus berlepschi compared with Selasphorus sasin

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Venezuelan Sylph Allen's Hummingbird
Scientific Name Aglaiocercus berlepschi Selasphorus sasin
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Vulnerable Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 11.9 cm (4.7 in) 8.1 cm (3.2 in)
Weight 5.0 g (0.18 oz) 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz)
Diet Nectarivore of Venezuelan Andes cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and Fuchsia blooms. Takes small insects and … Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with …
Clutch Size -- 2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Venezuelan Sylph only

None

Allen's Hummingbird only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Venezuelan Sylph

Song

Rough, buzzy chatter with energetic rhythm; coarse notes delivered rapidly with distinctive raw texture near nest.

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.

Geographic Range & Migration

Venezuelan Sylph

Endemic to the coastal mountains of north-central Venezuela in cloud forest. 1,200–2,400 m. Resident.

Allen's Hummingbird

Breeds along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Partial migrant; some Channel Islands populations resident year-round.

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

Venezuelan Sylph

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

About These Birds

Venezuelan Sylph

A spectacular hummingbird closely related to Long-tailed Sylph, endemic to the coastal mountains of northern Venezuela. Males have long violet-blue tail streamers. Nectarivore of cloud forest. Sometimes considered a subspecies of Long-tailed Sylph. Very limited range.

Allen's Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) breeding along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Males have an orange-red throat and rufous flanks. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird. Partial migrant; some populations resident on Channel Islands. Named after Thomas Allen.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family