Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Mexican Woodnymph
Ensifera ensifera compared with Eupherusa ridgwayi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Mexican Woodnymph |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Eupherusa ridgwayi |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | — |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.733333333333333 g (0.13 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore visiting diverse flowering plants; supplements the high-sugar nectar diet with small insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| 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.
Mexican Woodnymph
Rapid, light twittering cascade; high airy notes tumbling quickly in animated sequence above 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.
Mexican Woodnymph
Endemic to the Pacific lowlands of western Mexico from Nayarit to Guerrero. Resident in tropical deciduous forest.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph
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
Mexican Woodnymph
Smooth-billed Ani: all black with greenish gloss; large laterally compressed bill with dorsal ridge; long graduated black tail; no crest
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.
Mexican Woodnymph
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the Pacific lowlands of western Mexico from Nayarit to Guerrero. Green plumage with rufous belly. Nectarivore of tropical deciduous forest. Named after the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway. A Mexican endemic.