Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer vs Sword-billed Hummingbird
Chalybura urochrysia compared with Ensifera ensifera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer | Sword-billed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chalybura urochrysia | Ensifera ensifera |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) |
| Weight | 6.55 g (0.23 oz) | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of humid Central American and Colombian lowland forest. Takes insects and spiders to supplement … | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer only
None
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Song & Call Comparison
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Thin, high-pitched chip barely audible; minute staccato notes cascading gently near dense flowering shrubbery.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Geographic Range & Migration
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Found in humid lowland forests from Honduras to Ecuador. Resident in Caribbean and Pacific lowland forests.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Sword-billed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Buff-crested Bustard: pale buff-white below; brown-vermiculated above; black and white crest; males with erectile feathers; large
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
About These Birds
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Honduras to Ecuador. Green plumage with a bronze-colored tail. Feathered legs (the plumeleteer trait). Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
A remarkable hummingbird (14-15 cm body) with a bill as long as its body (8-10 cm), the longest bill relative to body size of any bird. Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 1,700-3,500 m. The extraordinarily long bill evolved to feed on deep tubular Passiflora flowers.