Mangrove Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Amazilia boucardi compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mangrove Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Amazilia boucardi | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 10.9 cm (4.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.5 g (0.16 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Critically endangered; feeds on mangrove flowers in Costa Rica and supplements with small insects and … | 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
Mangrove Hummingbird
Rich, melodic churring with complex cadence; warm resonant notes building in deliberate sequence near mangroves.
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
Mangrove Hummingbird
Endemic to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, restricted to mangrove forests. Classified as Endangered.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Mangrove Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Mangrove Hummingbird
Coppery-tailed Coucal: dark brown above; rufous wings; pale below; coppery-glossed tail; red eye; tail iridescence distinctive
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
Mangrove Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, restricted to mangrove forests. Green plumage. Nectarivore specializing in mangrove flowers (Pelliciera rhizophorae). Classified as Endangered due to mangrove habitat loss.
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.