Anna's Hummingbird vs Gorgeted Woodstar
Calypte anna compared with Chaetocercus heliodor
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Gorgeted Woodstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Chaetocercus heliodor |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) | 6.1 cm (2.4 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 2.225 g (0.08 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of subtropical Andean slopes, visiting diverse flowering herbs. Supplements nectar with small arthropods gleaned … |
| Clutch Size | 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
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.
Gorgeted Woodstar
High, thin whistle barely perceptible; delicate sustained note at extreme frequency, rarely detectable by human ear.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Gorgeted Woodstar
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Ecuador at 800-2,200 m elevation. Resident in montane forest edges.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Gorgeted Woodstar
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Gorgeted Woodstar
Vervain Hummingbird: world's 2nd smallest bird; males with violet gorget; metallic green above; females pale below; tiny size
About These Birds
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.
Gorgeted Woodstar
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Ecuador at 800-2,200 m. Males have a glittering green and blue gorget. Nectarivore of forest edges and gardens. Named for its spectacular jewel-like throat plumage.