White-bellied Woodstar vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chaetocercus mulsant compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-bellied Woodstar | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chaetocercus mulsant | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 7.8 cm (3.1 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.9 g (0.14 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on floral nectar in Andean cloud forest, favouring small-flowered herbs. Supplements with spiders and … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
White-bellied Woodstar only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
None
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
White-bellied Woodstar
Melodic, pure ascending phrase with bright character; clear notes rising smoothly in animated morning territorial song.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-bellied Woodstar
Found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 1,500-3,500 m elevation. Resident across the northern and central Andes.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
White-bellied Woodstar
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
White-bellied Woodstar
Beautiful Sheartail: males with brilliant violet-purple gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spotted
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
About These Birds
White-bellied Woodstar
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Bolivia at 1,500-3,500 m. Males have a white belly and iridescent gorget. Nectarivore of forest edges and flowering shrubs. One of the most widespread Andean woodstars.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.