Anna's Hummingbird vs Purple-backed Thornbill
Calypte anna compared with Ramphomicron microrhynchum
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Purple-backed Thornbill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Ramphomicron microrhynchum |
| 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) | 10.2 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 3.3 g (0.12 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore foraging at mossy treeline vegetation and compact Ericaceae blooms. Supplements with small insects. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Anna's Hummingbird only
Purple-backed Thornbill only
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.
Purple-backed Thornbill
Bright, cheerful twittering with bubbling quality; light rapid notes cascading freely in animated display 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.
Purple-backed Thornbill
Widespread in high Andean habitats from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 2,000–4,400 m.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Purple-backed Thornbill
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
Purple-backed Thornbill
Steely-vented Hummingbird: males with iridescent ruby-red gorget; metallic green above; white postocular stripe; blue-steel tail
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.
Purple-backed Thornbill
A tiny hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 2,000-3,800 m. Males have iridescent purple back. Tiny, short bill. Nectarivore of high-elevation flowering shrubs. One of the smallest hummingbirds in the Andes.