Anna's Hummingbird vs Merida Sunangel
Calypte anna compared with Heliangelus spencei
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Merida Sunangel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Heliangelus spencei |
| 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) | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.0 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore defending territories around productive Ericaceae patches. Supplements with tiny insects and spiders from foliage. |
| 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.
Merida Sunangel
Rough, buzzy trill with scratchy edge; coarse sustained notes with raw texture carrying across dense tropical scrub.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Merida Sunangel
Endemic to the Mérida Andes of Venezuela in cloud forest and páramo edge. 2,200–3,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Merida 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
Merida Sunangel
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.
Merida Sunangel
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the Andes of western Venezuela (Mérida) at 2,400-3,500 m. Males have a glittering purple throat. Green plumage. Nectarivore of páramo and cloud forest edges. A range-restricted Venezuelan endemic.