Racket-tipped Thorntail vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Discosura longicaudus compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Racket-tipped Thorntail | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Discosura longicaudus | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 8.6 cm (3.4 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 3.35 g (0.12 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Amazonian forest canopy. Forages at Inga and other legume flowers; supplements with small … | 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
Racket-tipped Thorntail
Melodic, ascending scale of clear notes; bright flute-like tones climbing smoothly, characteristic of morning territorial song.
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
Racket-tipped Thorntail
Found in humid lowland forest from Colombia and Venezuela east through the Guianas and Amazonian Brazil. 0–600 m.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Racket-tipped Thorntail
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Racket-tipped Thorntail
Greenish Puffleg: males brilliant metallic green; glittering blue gorget; white flanks; white leg puffs; females green above with spots
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
Racket-tipped Thorntail
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm plus long tail rackets in males) found in humid lowland forests from Venezuela through the Guianas and Amazonia. Males have elongated outer tail feathers with distinctive racket-shaped tips. Nectarivore of forest canopy.
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.