Anna's Hummingbird vs Tourmaline Sunangel
Calypte anna compared with Heliangelus exortis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Tourmaline Sunangel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Heliangelus exortis |
| 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) | 12.2 cm (4.8 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.3 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore visiting narrow tubular blooms of cloud-forest shrubs. Supplements diet with small spiders caught near … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Anna's Hummingbird only
Tourmaline Sunangel 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.
Tourmaline Sunangel
Melodic, two-note ascending call; pure first tone rising to brighter second note, given repeatedly with clear projection.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Tourmaline Sunangel
Found in cloud forests of Colombia and western Venezuela at 1,800–3,200 m. Fairly common in its limited range.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Tourmaline Sunangel
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
Tourmaline Sunangel
Coppery Metaltail: shining coppery-green above; white underparts with cinnamon flanks; glittering violet gorget; females spotted throat
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.
Tourmaline Sunangel
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Peru at 1,500-3,000 m. Males have a glittering multi-colored throat flashing green, orange, and purple like a tourmaline gemstone. Nectarivore of montane forest edges and Ericaceae-rich habitats.