Anna's Hummingbird vs Plain-bellied Emerald

Calypte anna compared with Chrysuronia leucogaster

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Anna's Hummingbird Plain-bellied Emerald
Scientific Name Calypte anna Chrysuronia leucogaster
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) 4.42 g (0.16 oz)
Diet Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … Feeds on floral nectar in Amazonian gallery forest. Supplements with insects and spiders caught during …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Anna's Hummingbird 10.0 cm
Plain-bellied Emerald
Wingspan
Anna's Hummingbird 12.0 cm
Plain-bellied Emerald
Weight
Anna's Hummingbird 4.3 g
Plain-bellied Emerald 4.42 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Anna's Hummingbird only

None

Plain-bellied Emerald only

None

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.

Plain-bellied Emerald

Song

Rapid, light twittering cascade; bright airy notes tumbling quickly in animated sequence above tropical 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.

Plain-bellied Emerald

Found in humid forests from the Guianas through Amazonia to eastern Brazil. Resident in lowland terra firme forest.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Anna's Hummingbird

Least Concern

Plain-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

Plain-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.

Plain-bellied Emerald

A medium-sized hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid forests from the Guianas through Amazonia to eastern Brazil. White belly, green plumage. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges. Found primarily in lowland terra firme forest.

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