Anna's Hummingbird vs Slender-tailed Woodstar

Calypte anna compared with Microstilbon burmeisteri

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Anna's Hummingbird Slender-tailed Woodstar
Scientific Name Calypte anna Microstilbon burmeisteri
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) 6.0 cm (2.4 in)
Weight 4.3 g (0.15 oz) 2.09 g (0.07 oz)
Diet Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … Nectarivore of montane scrub, probing small tubular flowers. Catches spiders and minute flies to supply …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Anna's Hummingbird 10.0 cm
Slender-tailed Woodstar
Wingspan
Anna's Hummingbird 12.0 cm
Slender-tailed Woodstar 6.0 cm
Weight
Anna's Hummingbird 4.3 g
Slender-tailed Woodstar 2.09 g

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Anna's Hummingbird only

Slender-tailed Woodstar 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

Song

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.

Slender-tailed Woodstar

Song

Soft, liquid descending cascade; gentle mellow notes flowing downward in quiet musical sequence at dawn.

Geographic Range & Migration

Anna's Hummingbird

Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.

Slender-tailed Woodstar

Found in arid scrub and woodland of central Bolivia and northwestern Argentina at 1,000-3,000 m. Resident and partial migrant.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Anna's Hummingbird

Least Concern

Slender-tailed Woodstar

How to Tell Them Apart

Anna's Hummingbird

Plumage

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.

Bill

Medium-length, straight, thin black bill

Slender-tailed Woodstar

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.

Slender-tailed Woodstar

A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm) found in arid scrub and woodland of central Bolivia and northwestern Argentina at 1,000-3,000 m. Males have a slender, forked tail. Nectarivore of dry forest and garden flowers. Named after the German zoologist Hermann Burmeister.

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