Green-tailed Emerald vs Sword-billed Hummingbird
Chlorostilbon alice compared with Ensifera ensifera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green-tailed Emerald | Sword-billed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorostilbon alice | Ensifera ensifera |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) |
| Weight | 3.5 g (0.12 oz) | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Venezuelan dry scrub, hovering at low shrub blooms. Catches gnats and spiders to … | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Green-tailed Emerald
Buzzy, sustained trill with insect-like quality; continuous high-frequency vibration with rapid amplitude modulation.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Geographic Range & Migration
Green-tailed Emerald
Found in montane regions of Venezuela at 500-2,000 m elevation. A Venezuelan endemic or near-endemic.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Green-tailed Emerald
Sword-billed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Green-tailed Emerald
Elliot's Hummingbird (Elliotomyia): males with iridescent violet gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green; spots
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
About These Birds
Green-tailed Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in montane regions of Venezuela at 500-2,000 m. Green plumage with a green tail. Nectarivore of forest edges and clearings. A Venezuelan endemic or near-endemic. Sometimes treated as a subspecies.
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.