Garden Emerald vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chlorostilbon assimilis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Garden Emerald | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorostilbon assimilis | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 9.0 cm (3.5 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.55 g (0.13 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on floral nectar in lowland Panama gardens and woodland. Catches small insects and spiders … | 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
Garden Emerald
Thin, sibilant buzz with wavering quality; soft high trill with gentle tremolo effect during hover display.
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
Garden Emerald
Found in humid lowlands from Costa Rica to northern Colombia on the Pacific slope. Resident in gardens and second growth.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Garden Emerald
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Garden Emerald
Plain-bellied Emerald: males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green above; plain whitish belly; females green above; spotted
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
Garden Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid lowlands from Costa Rica to northern Colombia. Bright green plumage. Nectarivore of gardens, second growth, and forest edges. Closely related to Canivet's Emerald. Found primarily on the Pacific slope.
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.