Golden-tailed Sapphire vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Chrysuronia oenone compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Golden-tailed Sapphire | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chrysuronia oenone | 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 | 5.15 g (0.18 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Amazonian lowland forest, visiting diverse flowering plants. Supplements diet with 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
Golden-tailed Sapphire
Harsh, emphatic screech with forceful carrying quality; loud rough call projecting powerfully across open terrain.
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
Golden-tailed Sapphire
Found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Resident in forest canopy.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Golden-tailed Sapphire
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Golden-tailed Sapphire
Senegal Coucal: black head; rufous-brown wings; pale buff-white below; long dark tail; red eye; African savanna species
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
Golden-tailed Sapphire
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Males have a glittering golden-orange tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges. Named sapphire for its blue throat.
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.