Blue-throated Goldentail vs Allen's Hummingbird

Chlorestes eliciae compared with Selasphorus sasin

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Blue-throated Goldentail Allen's Hummingbird
Scientific Name Chlorestes eliciae Selasphorus sasin
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Trochilidae Trochilidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan — 8.1 cm (3.2 in)
Weight 3.66 g (0.13 oz) 3.1500000000000004 g (0.11 oz)
Diet Nectarivore visiting diverse flowering plants; supplements the high-sugar nectar diet with small insects and spiders … Feeds on nectar from coastal sage scrub and forest flowers in California. Supplements diet with …
Clutch Size 2 2
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Blue-throated Goldentail only

None

Allen's Hummingbird only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Blue-throated Goldentail

Song

Harsh, nasal chatter with emphatic rhythm; rough buzzy notes delivered rapidly with coarse raw texture.

Allen's Hummingbird

Song

Deep, resonant churring trill; prolonged low buzzing sound carrying well across broad coastal mangroves.

Geographic Range & Migration

Blue-throated Goldentail

Found in humid forests from Mexico to Panama. Resident in lowland and foothill forest edges and clearings.

Allen's Hummingbird

Breeds along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Partial migrant; some Channel Islands populations resident year-round.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Blue-throated Goldentail

Least Concern

Allen's Hummingbird

About These Birds

Blue-throated Goldentail

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid forests from Mexico to Panama. Green plumage with blue throat and golden tail. Nectarivore of forest edges and clearings. Named goldentail for the glittering golden-bronze tail.

Allen's Hummingbird

A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) breeding along the Pacific coast from Oregon to southern California. Males have an orange-red throat and rufous flanks. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird. Partial migrant; some populations resident on Channel Islands. Named after Thomas Allen.

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