Anna's Hummingbird vs Buff-bellied Hermit
Calypte anna compared with Phaethornis subochraceus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Buff-bellied Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Phaethornis subochraceus |
| 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) | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 4.0 g (0.14 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore with elongated bill suited to pendant tubular flowers. Gleans small spiders and mites from … |
| Clutch Size | 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.
Buff-bellied Hermit
Rapid, light twittering cascade; airy high notes tumbling quickly in animated sequence during courtship display flight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Buff-bellied Hermit
Endemic to central and southwestern Brazil in cerrado woodland edges and dry forest gallery. Found at 400–900 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Buff-bellied 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
Buff-bellied Hermit
Needle-billed Hermit: heavily streaked tawny underparts; brown-olive above; pale supercilium; very fine needle-like decurved bill; streaked throat
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.
Buff-bellied Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (10-12 cm) found in dry deciduous forests and cerrado of central Bolivia and western Brazil. Buff-orange belly, green upperparts, and a curved bill. Nectarivore of dry forest undergrowth. An uncommon species of semi-arid habitats.