Violet-tailed Sylph vs Anna's Hummingbird
Aglaiocercus coelestis compared with Calypte anna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Violet-tailed Sylph | Anna's Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aglaiocercus coelestis | Calypte anna |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.4 cm (4.9 in) | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) |
| Weight | 5.483333333333334 g (0.19 oz) | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore with elongated tail foraging at diverse montane flowers. Catches small arthropods near flowering bromeliads. | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Anna's Hummingbird
Chaparral, coastal sage scrub, gardens, parks, and open woodland along the Pacific coast. One of few hummingbirds not fully migratory.
Song & Call Comparison
Violet-tailed Sylph
Sharp, emphatic two-note call; first note high and accented, second softer and brief, delivered at measured pace.
Anna's Hummingbird
Male produces a complex, scratchy song with buzzy 'dzzzzt' notes. Gives a nasal 'chee-chee-chee'. Males sing year-round, even in winter; one of few hummingbirds with true song.
Geographic Range & Migration
Violet-tailed Sylph
Found on the western Andean slope and Pacific foothills of Colombia and Ecuador in humid forest. 300–1,600 m.
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Conservation Status
Violet-tailed Sylph
Anna's Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Violet-tailed Sylph
Allen's Hummingbird: males with brilliant copper-orange back; glittering red-orange gorget; green crown; females green above with rufous
Anna's Hummingbird
Metallic bronze-green upperparts. Males have an iridescent rose-red crown and gorget. Females have green upperparts with grey underparts and a small red gorget patch.
Medium-length, straight, thin black bill
About These Birds
Violet-tailed Sylph
A spectacular hummingbird (10 cm body + 13 cm tail in males) endemic to the western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador at 1,000-2,500 m. Males have dazzling violet-blue outer tail streamers. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. Replaced by Long-tailed Sylph east of the Andes.
Anna's Hummingbird
Anna's hummingbird is the most common hummingbird along the Pacific coast and one of only three species resident in the United States year-round. Males perform spectacular dive displays, plummeting from 40 meters and pulling up with a loud chirp produced by tail feathers. Their body temperature can drop to near ambient at night to conserve energy.