Anna's Hummingbird vs White-chested Emerald

Calypte anna compared with Chrysuronia brevirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Anna's Hummingbird White-chested Emerald
Scientific Name Calypte anna Chrysuronia brevirostris
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) 4.25 g (0.15 oz)
Diet Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … Nectarivore specialising in tubular blossoms; supplements the floral nectar diet with tiny insects and spiders …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Anna's Hummingbird 10.0 cm
White-chested Emerald
Wingspan
Anna's Hummingbird 12.0 cm
White-chested Emerald
Weight
Anna's Hummingbird 4.3 g
White-chested Emerald 4.25 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Anna's Hummingbird only

None

White-chested 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-chested Emerald

Song

Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive nasal quality; soft tone held briefly then gently fading in rain forest.

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-chested Emerald

Found in humid forests from the Guianas through northern Amazonia to eastern Venezuela. Resident in lowland forest.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Anna's Hummingbird

Least Concern

White-chested 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-chested 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-chested Emerald

A medium-sized hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid forests from the Guianas through northern Amazonia to eastern Venezuela. White breast, green plumage. Short bill. Nectarivore of forest edges, savanna, and gardens.

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