Anna's Hummingbird vs Scintillant Hummingbird
Calypte anna compared with Selasphorus scintilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Scintillant Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Selasphorus scintilla |
| 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) | 6.6 cm (2.6 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 2.188 g (0.08 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Feeds on nectar from low-elevation Costa Rican scrub flowers. Supplements diet with tiny insects and … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Anna's Hummingbird only
Scintillant Hummingbird 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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
Soft, sibilant twittering with airy quality; high light notes cascading gently near flowering vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Scintillant Hummingbird
Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama at 900-2,000 m elevation. Resident in cloud forest edges.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Scintillant Hummingbird
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
Scintillant Hummingbird
Red-billed Streamertail: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; elongated tail streamers; red bill; females plain
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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
One of the world's smallest hummingbirds (6-7 cm). Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama at 900-2,000 m. Males have a flaming orange-red gorget. Nectarivore of cloud forest edges and mountain gardens. Weighs only 2-3 grams.