Rainbow Starfrontlet vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Coeligena iris compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rainbow Starfrontlet | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena iris | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 16.0 cm (6.3 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 7.266666666666667 g (0.26 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forest; forages at Ericaceae and mossy shrub flowers. Takes … | 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
Rainbow Starfrontlet
Thin, sibilant trill sustained briefly; continuous high-frequency vibration then silence, barely perceptible in habitat.
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
Rainbow Starfrontlet
Found in cloud forests of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,800–3,200 m elevation.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Rainbow Starfrontlet
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Rainbow Starfrontlet
Purple-backed Sunbeam (alt): males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic green above; purple back; females green above; spotted below
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
Rainbow Starfrontlet
A medium-sized hummingbird (13-14 cm) found in the Andes of Peru and Ecuador at 1,800-3,200 m. Males display rainbow-like iridescence on the forehead, flashing different colors as light angle changes. Nectarivore of montane forest and scrub.
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.