Anna's Hummingbird vs Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Calypte anna compared with Threnetes leucurus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Pale-tailed Barbthroat |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Threnetes leucurus |
| 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) | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 5.42 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Primarily nectarivore; uses its strongly hooked bill to probe for nectar in curved flowers; eats … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Anna's Hummingbird only
Pale-tailed Barbthroat 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.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Rapid, buzzing trill with insect-like quality; sustained high-frequency vibration followed by softer descending notes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Found in the Amazon basin and Guiana Shield from Venezuela and the Guianas south to Peru and Bolivia. Resident in humid forest interior.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
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
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
Bronze-green upperparts; pale greyish-buff underparts; dark malar stripe; tail pale buff-white with dark subterminal band; lacks the strong black banding of Band-tailed Barbthroat; Amazonian species with paler tail pattern.
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.
Pale-tailed Barbthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-12 cm) found in humid lowland forests of northern South America and Trinidad. Green plumage with white-tipped tail feathers and a decurved bill. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and Costus flowers. An important lowland forest pollinator.