Anna's Hummingbird vs Violet-headed Hummingbird
Calypte anna compared with Klais guimeti
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Violet-headed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Klais guimeti |
| 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) | 9.7 cm (3.8 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 2.775 g (0.10 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Feeds on nectar from lowland and foothill flowers in humid Central and South America. Supplements … |
| 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.
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Harsh, emphatic screech with forceful projection; loud rough call carrying across open terrain assertively.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Found in humid forests from Honduras to Bolivia at 400-1,500 m elevation. Resident in lowland and foothill forests.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Violet-headed Hummingbird
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
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Purple-crested Turaco: brilliant iridescent violet-purple crest; glossy green mantle; crimson flight feathers; red orbital ring; dark bill
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.
Violet-headed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (8 cm) found in humid forests from Honduras to Bolivia at 400-1,500 m. Males have an iridescent violet-blue head. Green body. Nectarivore of forest edges and gaps. Named after the French ornithologist Jules Bourcier, who described it as Guimet's specimen.