Anna's Hummingbird vs Green Hermit
Calypte anna compared with Phaethornis guy
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Green Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Phaethornis guy |
| 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) | 11.8 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.416666666666667 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore trap-lining Heliconia patches in humid lowland forest. Supplements with arthropods for breeding protein demands. |
| 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.
Green Hermit
Harsh, screaming trill with urgent intensity; loud, rough notes escalating quickly during territorial disputes near flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Green Hermit
Found in humid foothill forests from Trinidad and Costa Rica south through Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador to Bolivia. 200–1,800 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Green Hermit
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
Green Hermit
Western Long-tailed Hermit: metallic green above; buff-white below; forked dark tail with pale edges; white postocular stripe; curved 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.
Green Hermit
A large hermit hummingbird (15-17 cm) found in humid montane forests from Central America to Peru at 400-2,000 m elevation. Brilliant green plumage with dark face mask and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and Passiflora flowers.