Anna's Hummingbird vs Blue-capped Puffleg
Calypte anna compared with Eriocnemis glaucopoides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Blue-capped Puffleg |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Eriocnemis glaucopoides |
| 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) | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 3.75 g (0.13 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of Colombian Andes; fluffy leg tufts show during hover at Ericaceae blooms. Gleans small … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Anna's Hummingbird only
Blue-capped Puffleg 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.
Blue-capped Puffleg
Buzzy, high-pitched trill barely audible; rapid soft vibration with insect-like quality during hovering near blossoms.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Blue-capped Puffleg
Endemic to Argentina and adjacent Bolivia in high Andean scrub and puna at 2,600–4,200 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Blue-capped Puffleg
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
Blue-capped Puffleg
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.
Blue-capped Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Bolivia to northwestern Argentina at 2,000-3,500 m. Green plumage with blue crown and white leg puffs. Nectarivore of montane forest and cloud forest edges. The southernmost puffleg species.