Coppery Thorntail vs Sword-billed Hummingbird
Discosura letitiae compared with Ensifera ensifera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Coppery Thorntail | Sword-billed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Discosura letitiae | Ensifera ensifera |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Data Deficient | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) |
| Weight | 2.8 g (0.10 oz) | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore with elongated tail foraging at high canopy blooms. Catches small insects near flowering trees. | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Coppery Thorntail
Soft, high peep followed by short buzzy trill; quiet introductory note launching into brief rough continuation.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Geographic Range & Migration
Coppery Thorntail
Known only from Bolivia; restricted range in humid lowland forest of the Beni region. 150–500 m elevation.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Conservation Status
Coppery Thorntail
Sword-billed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Coppery Thorntail
Rufous Puffleg: males shining bronze-green; iridescent teal gorget; white underparts; large rufous leg puffs; females duller with spots
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
About These Birds
Coppery Thorntail
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm) known from very few specimens collected in Bolivia. Coppery plumage. Almost nothing known about its ecology or current status. One of the most mysterious hummingbirds; possibly rare, possibly overlooked. Further fieldwork needed.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
A remarkable hummingbird (14-15 cm body) with a bill as long as its body (8-10 cm), the longest bill relative to body size of any bird. Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 1,700-3,500 m. The extraordinarily long bill evolved to feed on deep tubular Passiflora flowers.