Anna's Hummingbird vs White-bellied Emerald

Calypte anna compared with Chlorestes candida

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Anna's Hummingbird White-bellied Emerald
Scientific Name Calypte anna Chlorestes candida
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)
Weight 4.3 g (0.15 oz) 3.675 g (0.13 oz)
Diet Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … Feeds on floral nectar in forest understory, hovering at Heliconia and bromeliads. Supplements with spiders …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Anna's Hummingbird 10.0 cm
White-bellied Emerald
Wingspan
Anna's Hummingbird 12.0 cm
White-bellied Emerald
Weight
Anna's Hummingbird 4.3 g
White-bellied Emerald 3.675 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Anna's Hummingbird only

White-bellied Emerald 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

Song

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.

White-bellied Emerald

Song

Rapid, mechanical twittering; quick dry staccato notes tumbling freely in animated sequence near flowers.

Geographic Range & Migration

Anna's Hummingbird

Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.

White-bellied Emerald

Found in humid forests from Mexico through Central America to Colombia. Resident in lowland forest edges.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Anna's Hummingbird

Least Concern

White-bellied Emerald

How to Tell Them Apart

Anna's Hummingbird

Plumage

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.

Bill

Medium-length, straight, thin black bill

White-bellied Emerald

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.

White-bellied Emerald

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid forests from Mexico through Central America to Colombia. White belly, green plumage. Nectarivore of forest edges, second growth, and gardens. Common in lowland habitats across its range.

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