Grey-breasted Sabrewing vs Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Campylopterus largipennis compared with Nesophlox lyrura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey-breasted Sabrewing | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Campylopterus largipennis | Nesophlox lyrura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.5 cm (5.7 in) | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) |
| Weight | 7.980000000000001 g (0.28 oz) | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from Amazonian understory flowers, favouring Heliconia. Supplements diet with insects and spiders … | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Grey-breasted Sabrewing
Soft, melodic warbling with gentle flowing quality; notes weaving smoothly in quiet musical phrase. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic quality; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
Geographic Range & Migration
Grey-breasted Sabrewing
Widely distributed in humid forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in lowland forests.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Conservation Status
Grey-breasted Sabrewing
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Grey-breasted Sabrewing
Livingstone's Turaco: rich glossy green body; long green crest with white tips; white facial stripe; crimson flight feathers; red bill
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females green above; spotted white below
About These Birds
Grey-breasted Sabrewing
A large hummingbird (13-15 cm) widely distributed in humid forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Grey breast, green plumage, and thickened outer wing feathers (the sabrewing trait). Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to Jamaica. Males have a deeply forked, lyre-shaped tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Recently split from Bahama Woodstar. A Jamaican near-endemic.