Rufous-tailed Hummingbird vs Anna's Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl compared with Calypte anna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | Anna's Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Amazilia tzacatl | Calypte anna |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 11.3 cm (4.4 in) | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) |
| Weight | 5.04 g (0.18 oz) | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) |
| Diet | Common lowland nectarivore of Central America; visits Heliconia, banana, and garden flowers. Supplements with insects … | 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
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Deep, resonant trill with buzzing character; powerful churring vibration carrying across open hillside.
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
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Widely distributed from Mexico through Central America to western Ecuador. Resident in varied lowland habitats.
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Conservation Status
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Coucal: entirely rufous-brown overall; long dark graduated tail; red eye; monochromatic rufous plumage; sexually similar
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
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) widely distributed from Mexico through Central America to western Ecuador. Green plumage with a rufous tail. Red bill with dark tip. Nectarivore of gardens, forest edges, and second growth. One of the most common Neotropical hummingbirds.
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.