Anna's Hummingbird vs Rufous-breasted Hermit
Calypte anna compared with Glaucis hirsutus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Rufous-breasted Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Glaucis hirsutus |
| 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) | 11.8 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 6.533333333333334 g (0.23 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectar-dependent hummingbird harvesting energy-rich floral rewards; dietary protein from small arthropods. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
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.
Rufous-breasted Hermit
Soft, high squeaking notes in loose sequence; gentle twittering with intermittent pauses, barely carrying beyond close range.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Rufous-breasted Hermit
Found from Trinidad and the Guianas south through Amazonia, and coastal regions from Colombia to Brazil. Resident in forest edge and gardens.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous-breasted Hermit
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
Rufous-breasted Hermit
Bronze-green upperparts; rich rufous-orange breast and flanks contrasting with whitish belly; pale supercilium; rufous tail with dark subterminal band; widespread Neotropical hermit with brighter rufous breast than Bronzy Hermit.
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.
Rufous-breasted Hermit
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-12 cm) found in humid forests and mangroves from Central America to Brazil and Trinidad. Green plumage with rufous breast and curved bill. Nectarivore visiting Heliconia, bananas, and other large-flowered tropical plants in forest undergrowth.