Western Emerald vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Western Emerald | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 2.675 g (0.09 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of western Colombian and Ecuadorian forest. Supplements diet with small arthropods caught near blossoms. | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 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
Western Emerald
Melodic, ascending phrase with hopeful character; smooth pure tones rising in clear musical progression at dawn.
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
Western Emerald
Found from Panama to Peru along the western Andean foothills. Resident in forest edges and gardens at low to mid elevations.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Western Emerald
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Western Emerald
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
Western Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found from Panama to Peru in western Andean foothills. Bright emerald-green plumage with dark tail. Nectarivore of forest edges and gardens. Closely related to other Chlorostilbon emeralds. A Chocó and western Andean species.
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.