Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird vs Sword-billed Hummingbird
Chrysuronia lilliae compared with Ensifera ensifera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird | Sword-billed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chrysuronia lilliae | Ensifera ensifera |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 g (0.15 oz) | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting diverse flowering plants; supplements the high-sugar nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird only
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Song & Call Comparison
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird
Soft, buzzy trill barely audible; rapid light notes barely perceptible at distance in dense vegetation.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Geographic Range & Migration
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird
Endemic to northern Colombia. Critically Endangered with a tiny population in Caribbean coastal habitats.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird
Sword-billed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird
Burchell's Coucal: white supercilium; streaked brown above; rufous wings; pale white below; long tail; red eye; distinctive eyebrow
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
About These Birds
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to northern Colombia. Males have a sapphire-blue belly. Nectarivore of mangroves and dry forest. Critically Endangered with a very small population restricted to a tiny area of Caribbean Colombia.
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.