Short-tailed Emerald vs Sword-billed Hummingbird
Chlorostilbon poortmani compared with Ensifera ensifera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Short-tailed Emerald | Sword-billed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorostilbon poortmani | Ensifera ensifera |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 8.2 cm (3.2 in) | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) |
| Weight | 3.5 g (0.12 oz) | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on nectar from scrub and forest-edge flowers in Colombia and Venezuela. Supplements with small … | 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
Short-tailed Emerald
Thin, reedy chip note with soft delivery; barely audible single staccato sound given from dense cover.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Geographic Range & Migration
Short-tailed Emerald
Found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Venezuela at 1,500-2,800 m elevation. Resident in montane forest.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Short-tailed Emerald
Sword-billed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Short-tailed Emerald
Polyerata hummingbird: males with glittering green gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spotted below
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
About These Birds
Short-tailed Emerald
A small hummingbird (7-8 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Colombia to Venezuela at 1,500-2,800 m. Green plumage with a notably short tail. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. Named for its unusually short tail for an emerald.
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.