Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Blue-capped Puffleg
Ensifera ensifera compared with Eriocnemis glaucopoides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Blue-capped Puffleg |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Eriocnemis glaucopoides |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 10.1 cm (4.0 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.75 g (0.13 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Colombian Andes; fluffy leg tufts show during hover at Ericaceae blooms. Gleans small … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
None
Blue-capped 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.
Blue-capped Puffleg
Buzzy, high-pitched trill barely audible; rapid soft vibration with insect-like quality during hovering near blossoms.
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.
Blue-capped Puffleg
Endemic to Argentina and adjacent Bolivia in high Andean scrub and puna at 2,600–4,200 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Blue-capped 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
Blue-capped Puffleg
Velvet-browed Brilliant: males with iridescent purple gorget; velvety black brow; metallic bronze-green above; females green with spots
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.
Blue-capped Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Bolivia to northwestern Argentina at 2,000-3,500 m. Green plumage with blue crown and white leg puffs. Nectarivore of montane forest and cloud forest edges. The southernmost puffleg species.