Brown Violetear vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Colibri delphinae compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brown Violetear | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Colibri delphinae | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 13.6 cm (5.4 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 6.2 g (0.22 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting a wide range of forest-edge and garden flowers. Aggressively defends patches of Salvia … | 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
Brown Violetear
High, thin twittering barely audible; delicate cascade of minute notes almost imperceptible in dense vegetation.
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
Brown Violetear
Found in humid forest from Guatemala south through Central America to western Ecuador and Bolivia, and across northern South America. 0–1,800 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Brown Violetear
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Brown Violetear
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
Brown Violetear
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) with dull brown plumage, unusual among hummingbirds. Found in humid forests from Guatemala through South America to Bolivia. Named for the violet ear patches visible in good light. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges. Nomadic.
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.