Anna's Hummingbird vs Fawn-breasted Brilliant
Calypte anna compared with Heliodoxa rubinoides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Fawn-breasted Brilliant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Heliodoxa rubinoides |
| 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) | 13.9 cm (5.5 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 7.368 g (0.26 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of Colombian and Ecuadorian cloud forest; forages at Ericaceae and Fuchsia blooms. Gleans small … |
| 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.
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
Rapid, bright twittering cascade; light airy notes tumbling freely in animated sequence above tropical 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.
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
Found in foothill and lower montane cloud forest from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 600–2,000 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
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
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
Plain-capped Starthroat (alt): males with ruby gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spotted below
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.
Fawn-breasted Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 1,200-2,500 m. Green plumage with a distinctive fawn-buff breast. Nectarivore of montane forest and forest edges. A common cloud forest species across its range.