Gould's Inca vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Coeligena inca compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Gould's Inca | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena inca | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 14.6 cm (5.7 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 7.0 g (0.25 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Peruvian and Bolivian cloud forest; forages at diverse Ericaceae and Clusia blooms. Gleans … | 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
Gould's Inca
Pure, bell-like tone with long resonance; single clear note ringing out in open Andean grassland then fading.
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
Gould's Inca
Endemic to the eastern Andean slopes of Peru and Bolivia in cloud forest at 1,200–2,800 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Gould's Inca
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Gould's Inca
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
Gould's Inca
A medium-sized hummingbird (13-14 cm) found in Andean cloud forests of Peru and Bolivia at 2,000-3,000 m. Green plumage similar to Collared Inca. Nectarivore of montane forest. Named after John Gould. Sometimes considered a subspecies of Collared Inca.
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.