Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chalybura urochrysia compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chalybura urochrysia | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.55 g (0.23 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of humid Central American and Colombian lowland forest. Takes insects and spiders to supplement … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Thin, high-pitched chip barely audible; minute staccato notes cascading gently near dense flowering shrubbery.
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
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Found in humid lowland forests from Honduras to Ecuador. Resident in Caribbean and Pacific lowland forests.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Ruby-throated 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
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
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.
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.