Amazilia Hummingbird vs Needle-billed Hermit

Amazilis amazilia compared with Phaethornis philippii

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Amazilia Hummingbird Needle-billed Hermit
Scientific Name Amazilis amazilia Phaethornis philippii
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 11.4 cm (4.5 in)
Weight 5.066666666666666 g (0.18 oz) 4.9 g (0.17 oz)
Diet Feeds on nectar from flowering shrubs and epiphytes. Catches small insects and spiders to meet … Nectarivore following trap-lining routes through Heliconia and Costus flowers. Catches small arthropods for protein.
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Amazilia Hummingbird only

Needle-billed Hermit only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Amazilia Hummingbird

Song

Buzzy, high-pitched trill with insect-like quality; rapid sustained vibration barely distinguishable from insects.

Needle-billed Hermit

Song

Soft, whispered twittering with delicate quality; barely audible sequence of minute high notes almost lost in ambient sound.

Geographic Range & Migration

Amazilia Hummingbird

Found in arid coastal lowlands of western Peru and Ecuador. Resident in desert scrub and river valleys.

Needle-billed Hermit

Found in lowland rainforest of Peru and adjacent Bolivia in the upper Amazon basin. Sea level to 600 m elevation.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Amazilia Hummingbird

Least Concern

Needle-billed Hermit

About These Birds

Amazilia Hummingbird

A medium-sized hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in arid coastal lowlands of western Peru and Ecuador. Green plumage with variable rusty-orange underparts. Nectarivore of desert scrub, gardens, and river valleys. Adapted to arid Pacific environments.

Needle-billed Hermit

A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (12-14 cm) found in humid lowland forests from eastern Peru to western Brazil. Green plumage with rufous underparts and an unusually straight, needle-like bill for a hermit. Nectarivore of Amazonian forest undergrowth.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family