Anna's Hummingbird vs Long-tailed Hermit
Calypte anna compared with Phaethornis superciliosus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Long-tailed Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Phaethornis superciliosus |
| 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) | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.15 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of dense undergrowth flowers. Regularly hawks small flying insects and gleans spiders to meet … |
| 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.
Long-tailed Hermit
Thin, sibilant hissing trill; continuous soft buzz with slight pulsing quality, issued during slow hovering near blossoms.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Long-tailed Hermit
Found in lowland humid forest from Colombia and Venezuela east through the Guianas and south through Amazonian Brazil. 0–700 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Long-tailed 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
Long-tailed Hermit
Black-crested Coquette: males with elongated black-tipped rufous crest; iridescent green gorget; white collar; females with 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.
Long-tailed Hermit
A large hermit hummingbird (15-17 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through the Guianas to northern Brazil. Green plumage with long, curved bill and very long, white-tipped central tail feathers. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Males gather in singing leks.