Red-billed Emerald vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chlorostilbon gibsoni compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-billed Emerald | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorostilbon gibsoni | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 9.9 cm (3.9 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.4 g (0.12 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on floral nectar in lowland Venezuelan scrub and forest. Gleans insects and spiders to … | 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
Red-billed Emerald
Harsh, buzzy chatter with urgency; rough staccato notes escalating quickly during competitive flower territory dispute.
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
Red-billed Emerald
Found in dry valleys and scrub of Colombia and Venezuela. Resident in arid and semi-arid habitats at low elevations.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Red-billed Emerald
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Red-billed Emerald
Versicolored Emerald: males with glittering multicolored gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spots
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
Red-billed Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in dry valleys and scrub of Colombia and Venezuela. Bright green plumage with a red bill with dark tip. Nectarivore of arid and semi-arid habitats. Named after the naturalist William Gibson.
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.