Anna's Hummingbird vs Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Calypte anna compared with Urosticte benjamini
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Anna's Hummingbird | Purple-bibbed Whitetip |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Calypte anna | Urosticte benjamini |
| 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) | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 4.0 g (0.14 oz) |
| Diet | Nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Visits a wide variety of native and ornamental flowering … | Nectarivore of Ecuadorian and Colombian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and epiphyte flowers. Gleans small arthropods. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 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.
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
Rough, buzzy chatter with energetic rhythm; coarse notes delivered rapidly with distinctive raw texture near territory.
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-bibbed Whitetip
Found on the western and central Andes of Colombia and Ecuador in cloud forest. 800–2,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Anna's Hummingbird
Purple-bibbed Whitetip
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-bibbed Whitetip
Buff-winged Starfrontlet (alt): tiny; males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green; buff wing stripe; females green above; spots
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-bibbed Whitetip
A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Ecuador at 1,000-2,400 m. Green plumage with purple bib and white tail tips. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. Named whitetip for the white-tipped tail feathers.