Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Glowing Puffleg
Ensifera ensifera compared with Eriocnemis vestita
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Glowing Puffleg |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Eriocnemis vestita |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 4.716666666666666 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Colombian and Ecuadorian Ericaceae-rich shrublands. Supplements nectar with small arthropods near blooms. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Glowing Puffleg
High, thin chip note with sibilant ending; soft twittering sequence given quietly during foraging near Andean flowers.
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.
Glowing Puffleg
Widespread in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 1,800–3,400 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Glowing 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
Glowing Puffleg
Pink-throated Brilliant: males with iridescent blue-violet gorget; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spotted
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.
Glowing Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Peru at 2,400-3,500 m. Bright green plumage with conspicuous white leg puffs. Nectarivore of montane forest and gardens. One of the most common and widespread puffleg species.