Anna's Hummingbird vs Bronze-tailed Thornbill
Calypte anna compared with Chalcostigma heteropogon
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Bronze-tailed Thornbill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Chalcostigma heteropogon |
| 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) | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.65 g (0.20 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of high Andean grasslands and shrublands; visits Ericaceae and Gentianaceae blooms. Gleans tiny arthropods. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Anna's Hummingbird only
Bronze-tailed Thornbill only
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.
Bronze-tailed Thornbill
Deep, hollow churring with resonant bass; prolonged low buzzing audible at range through open forest edge.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Bronze-tailed Thornbill
Found in high Andean grassland and scrub from Venezuela through Colombia to Ecuador at 2,800–4,200 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Bronze-tailed 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
Bronze-tailed Thornbill
Mangrove Hummingbird: tiny; males with violet gorget; metallic green above; white-spotted underparts; females green above; spotted
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.
Bronze-tailed Thornbill
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests and páramo edges from Venezuela to Peru at 2,500-3,800 m. Green plumage with bronze tail and purple throat (males). Nectarivore of high-altitude shrubs. The largest thornbill in the genus Chalcostigma.