Anna's Hummingbird vs White-bearded Hermit
Calypte anna compared with Phaethornis hispidus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | White-bearded Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Phaethornis hispidus |
| 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) | 10.8 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 4.975 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore visiting Heliconia, Costus, and banana flowers along forest understory routes. Takes small insects opportunistically. |
| 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.
White-bearded Hermit
Sharp, staccato chips in rapid series; clean, emphatic notes delivered rhythmically without inflection or melodic variation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
White-bearded Hermit
Widespread in western Amazonia from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. Found at 100–1,000 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
White-bearded 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
White-bearded Hermit
Mexican Hermit: olive-green above; pale whitish below; dark facial mask; white supercilium; pale buff-white supercilium; 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.
White-bearded Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in lowland forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia. Green plumage with a distinctive white beard-like throat stripe and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia flowers.