Rainbow-bearded Thornbill vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chalcostigma herrani compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rainbow-bearded Thornbill | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chalcostigma herrani | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 13.5 cm (5.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.183333333333334 g (0.22 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian and Venezuelan montane scrub; visits diverse small flowers. Supplements with small insects. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Thin, reedy trill with wavering quality; soft rapid notes with gentle tremolo effect, given from dense cover.
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
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Found in high Andean páramo and shrubby forest edge from Colombia south to Ecuador and Peru. 2,600–4,400 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
Snowcap: males with brilliant iridescent blue-violet gorget; snow-white crown; metallic green above; females green above; spotted below
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
Rainbow-bearded Thornbill
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean páramo from Colombia to Ecuador at 2,800-4,000 m. Males have a spectacular rainbow-colored beard of iridescent feathers ranging from green through gold to purple. Nectarivore of páramo flowering shrubs.
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.