Anna's Hummingbird vs Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Calypte anna compared with Chalcostigma herrani
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Rainbow-bearded Thornbill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Chalcostigma herrani |
| 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) | 13.5 cm (5.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 6.183333333333334 g (0.22 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of Colombian and Venezuelan montane scrub; visits diverse small flowers. Supplements with small insects. |
| 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
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.
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Thin, reedy trill with wavering quality; soft rapid notes with gentle tremolo effect, given from dense cover.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Found in high Andean páramo and shrubby forest edge from Colombia south to Ecuador and Peru. 2,600–4,400 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
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
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Snowcap: males with brilliant iridescent blue-violet gorget; snow-white crown; metallic green above; females green above; spotted below
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.
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean páramo from Colombia to Ecuador at 2,800-4,000 m. Males have a spectacular rainbow-colored beard of iridescent feathers ranging from green through gold to purple. Nectarivore of páramo flowering shrubs.