Mexican Sheartail vs Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Doricha eliza compared with Nesophlox lyrura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mexican Sheartail | Lyre-tailed Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Doricha eliza | Nesophlox lyrura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 7.7 cm (3.0 in) | 8.0 cm (3.1 in) |
| Weight | 2.5 g (0.09 oz) | 2.425 g (0.09 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of dry scrub and coastal dunes, visiting Agave and Ipomoea flowers. Supplements with insects … | Nectarivore probing tubular flowers in humid forest. Supplements nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Mexican Sheartail
Melodic, three-note ascending call; pure warm tones stepping upward smoothly, given clearly from tall perch.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic quality; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
Geographic Range & Migration
Mexican Sheartail
Endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and Cozumel Island. Classified as Near Threatened due to habitat destruction.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Endemic to Jamaica. Resident in forests and gardens across the island from lowlands to highlands.
Conservation Status
Mexican Sheartail
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
How to Tell Them Apart
Mexican Sheartail
Xantus's Hummingbird: males with glittering green gorget; metallic green above; rufous tail; cinnamon underparts; sexually dimorphic
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females green above; spotted white below
About These Birds
Mexican Sheartail
A tiny hummingbird (8-9 cm) endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and Cozumel Island. Males have elongated, slender outer tail feathers. Nectarivore of coastal scrub and gardens. Classified as Near Threatened due to habitat destruction in its limited range.
Lyre-tailed Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to Jamaica. Males have a deeply forked, lyre-shaped tail. Green plumage. Nectarivore of forest and garden flowers. Recently split from Bahama Woodstar. A Jamaican near-endemic.