Sapphire-throated Hummingbird vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chrysuronia coeruleogularis compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sapphire-throated Hummingbird | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chrysuronia coeruleogularis | 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 | 4.133333333333333 g (0.15 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on floral nectar in forest understory, hovering at Heliconia and bromeliads. Supplements with 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
Shared Habitats
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird only
Ruby-throated Hummingbird only
None
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
Song & Call Comparison
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird
High, thin chip note with silvery sibilant ending; soft twittering sequence given quietly during active foraging.
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
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird
Found in tropical lowlands from Honduras to Venezuela and Ecuador. Resident in Caribbean lowland habitats.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird
White-browed Coucal: white supercilium; brown-streaked above; rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; red eye; bold eye stripe
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
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in tropical lowlands from Honduras to Venezuela and Ecuador. Males have a deep sapphire-blue throat. Green body. Nectarivore of forest edges and gardens. Found primarily in Caribbean lowland habitats.
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.