Anna's Hummingbird vs Black-breasted Hillstar
Calypte anna compared with Oreotrochilus melanogaster
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Black-breasted Hillstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Oreotrochilus melanogaster |
| 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) | 14.4 cm (5.7 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 7.75 g (0.27 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of Bolivian altiplano; forages at Ericaceae and Chuquiraga in arid puna. Takes small insects … |
| 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-breasted Hillstar
Rapid, light chips in animated sequence; bright staccato notes with bouncy quality during active territorial display.
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-breasted Hillstar
Endemic to central and southern Peru in the Andes in puna grassland and scrub at 3,500–4,800 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Black-breasted Hillstar
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-breasted Hillstar
Peruvian Sheartail: males with glittering rose-red gorget; metallic green back; white underparts; females green above; pale 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.
Black-breasted Hillstar
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in the Andes of central Peru at 3,000-4,500 m. Males have a black breast contrasting with green upperparts and white belly. Nectarivore of puna grasslands and rocky slopes. An endemic of Peru's central Andean highlands.