Violet-tailed Sylph vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Aglaiocercus coelestis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Violet-tailed Sylph | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aglaiocercus coelestis | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 12.4 cm (4.9 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 5.483333333333334 g (0.19 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore with elongated tail foraging at diverse montane flowers. Catches small arthropods near flowering bromeliads. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 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
Violet-tailed Sylph
Sharp, emphatic two-note call; first note high and accented, second softer and brief, delivered at measured pace.
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
Violet-tailed Sylph
Found on the western Andean slope and Pacific foothills of Colombia and Ecuador in humid forest. 300–1,600 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Violet-tailed Sylph
Ruby-throated 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
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
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.
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.