Golden Starfrontlet vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Coeligena eos compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Golden Starfrontlet | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena eos | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.599999999999999 g (0.23 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian Pacific slope; visits Ericaceae and Heliconia in wet montane forest. Supplements with … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 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 Starfrontlet
Rough, buzzy trill with scratchy edge; coarse sustained notes with raw texture carrying across Andean scrub.
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 Starfrontlet
Found in cloud forests of northeastern Colombia and adjacent northwestern Venezuela. 1,600–2,800 m. Uncommon.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Golden Starfrontlet
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Golden Starfrontlet
Wedge-tailed Hillstar: males with iridescent blue gorget; metallic green body; wedge-shaped tail; white leg puffs; females plain green
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 Starfrontlet
A medium-sized hummingbird (13-14 cm) endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia at 2,500-3,500 m. Males have golden-orange plumage, unusual among Coeligena hummingbirds. Nectarivore of cloud forest. Classified as Endangered due to small range and habitat loss.
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.