Anna's Hummingbird vs Brace's Emerald
Calypte anna compared with Riccordia bracei
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Brace's Emerald |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Riccordia bracei |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Extinct |
| Length | 10.0 cm (3.9 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 12.0 cm (4.7 in) | — |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 3.54 g (0.12 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Extinct emerald; was a nectarivore of Bahamian scrub, likely visiting flowering shrubs and supplementing with … |
| 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.
Brace's Emerald
Soft, melodic warbling with gentle rhythm; notes rising and falling in quiet unhurried phrase through shaded area.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Brace's Emerald
Formerly endemic to New Providence Island, Bahamas. Extinct since the late 19th century. Known from a single 1877 specimen.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Brace's Emerald
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
Brace's Emerald
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.
Brace's Emerald
An extinct hummingbird formerly endemic to New Providence Island, Bahamas. Known from a single specimen collected in 1877. Green plumage. Lost to habitat destruction and possibly predation by introduced mammals. No confirmed sightings since the 19th century.