Anna's Hummingbird vs Great-billed Hermit
Calypte anna compared with Phaethornis malaris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Great-billed Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Phaethornis malaris |
| 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) | 6.4799999999999995 g (0.23 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.
Great-billed Hermit
Melodic, two-note whistle repeated persistently; first note pure and high, second slightly lower, given every few seconds.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Great-billed Hermit
Widespread in Amazonian lowlands from Colombia and the Guianas south through Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 0–800 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Great-billed 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
Great-billed Hermit
Festive Coquette: males with elongated black-tipped crest; iridescent green gorget; white collar band; females with plain rufous crown
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.
Great-billed Hermit
A large hermit hummingbird (15-17 cm), the largest in the genus, found in lowland Amazonian forests from Colombia to Brazil and Bolivia. Green plumage with a massive curved bill and long tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting large Heliconia flowers.