Anna's Hummingbird vs Black Metaltail
Calypte anna compared with Metallura phoebe
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Black Metaltail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Metallura phoebe |
| 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) | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.7325 g (0.20 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of high Peruvian puna scrub; visits small compact flowers of cushion plants. Gleans tiny … |
| 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.
Black Metaltail
Harsh, buzzy rattle with percussive onset; abrupt rough trill erupting suddenly then ceasing in sharp silence.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Black Metaltail
Found in the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia in puna and upper montane scrub at 3,400–5,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Metaltail
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
Black Metaltail
Fiery-throated Hummingbird: tiny; males with multicolored fiery gorget; metallic blue crown; iridescent green above; females duller
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.
Black Metaltail
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the western Andes of Peru at 3,000-4,500 m. Males all black with iridescent purple-blue throat. Nectarivore of puna scrub, Polylepis woodland, and inter-Andean valleys. A Peruvian endemic. Conspicuous at flowering shrubs.