Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Coppery-bellied Puffleg
Ensifera ensifera compared with Eriocnemis cupreoventris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Coppery-bellied Puffleg |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Eriocnemis cupreoventris |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 12.6 cm (5.0 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 5.1 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Venezuelan Andean montane forest; visits Ericaceae and Fuchsia. Gleans small insects from flower … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
None
Coppery-bellied Puffleg only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Coppery-bellied Puffleg
Thin, sibilant hiss with buzzy overtone; faint high-frequency trill barely audible in dense Andean cloud forest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,700–3,500 m.
Coppery-bellied Puffleg
Found in cloud forests and scrub of Colombia and northern Venezuela at 1,800–3,200 m. Uncommon.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Coppery-bellied Puffleg
How to Tell Them Apart
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Olivaceous Thornbill: males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic olive-bronze above; white underparts; females green above; spots
Coppery-bellied Puffleg
Empress Brilliant: males with iridescent magenta gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spotted below
About These Birds
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.
Coppery-bellied Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the eastern Andes of Colombia at 1,800-3,000 m. Males have a coppery-orange belly and white leg puffs. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. Classified as Vulnerable due to limited Colombian range and habitat loss.