White-chested Emerald vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chrysuronia brevirostris compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-chested Emerald | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chrysuronia brevirostris | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 4.25 g (0.15 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore specialising in tubular blossoms; supplements the floral nectar diet with tiny 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
White-chested Emerald
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive nasal quality; soft tone held briefly then gently fading in rain forest.
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
White-chested Emerald
Found in humid forests from the Guianas through northern Amazonia to eastern Venezuela. Resident in lowland forest.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
White-chested Emerald
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
White-chested 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
White-chested Emerald
A medium-sized hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid forests from the Guianas through northern Amazonia to eastern Venezuela. White breast, green plumage. Short bill. Nectarivore of forest edges, savanna, and gardens.
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.