Anna's Hummingbird vs White-tailed Hillstar
Calypte anna compared with Urochroa leucura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | White-tailed Hillstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Urochroa leucura |
| 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) | 14.7 cm (5.8 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 9.774999999999999 g (0.34 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of Peruvian montane shrubs; forages at Ericaceae and Puya flowers. Supplements with small insects. |
| 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.
White-tailed Hillstar
Sharp, emphatic two-note call; high accented first note followed by softer brief second, repeated persistently.
Geographic Range & Migration
Anna's Hummingbird
Western North America from southern British Columbia along the Pacific coast to Baja California. Range has expanded northward.
White-tailed Hillstar
Found on the eastern Andean slope of Peru and Bolivia in montane cloud forest. 1,000–2,600 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
White-tailed Hillstar
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
White-tailed Hillstar
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.
White-tailed Hillstar
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in Andean cloud forests of Peru and Bolivia at 2,000-3,500 m. Green plumage with white outer tail feathers visible in flight. Nectarivore of montane forest. Recently split from Rufous-gaped Hillstar.