White-chinned Sapphire vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chlorestes cyanus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-chinned Sapphire | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorestes cyanus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.35 g (0.12 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from flowering shrubs and epiphytes. Catches small insects and spiders to meet … | 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
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-chinned Sapphire
Pure, bell-like descending phase; clear resonant tones stepping smoothly down in musical evening sequence.
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-chinned Sapphire
Found in humid lowland forests from Colombia through the Guianas to Amazonia and Brazil. Resident.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
White-chinned Sapphire
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
White-chinned Sapphire
Crested Coua: blue-gray body; white below; brilliant blue and red bare facial skin; long tail; white-tipped; Madagascar endemic
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-chinned Sapphire
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Colombia through the Guianas to Amazonia and Brazil. Green plumage with a blue or white chin. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges. Named sapphire for the blue chin.
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.