Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Hook-billed Hermit
Ensifera ensifera compared with Glaucis dohrnii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Hook-billed Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Glaucis dohrnii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 12.6 cm (5.0 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 6.659999999999999 g (0.23 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore and occasional insectivore; visits heliconia, bromeliads, and Inga flowers while trap-lining territories. |
| 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.
Hook-billed Hermit
Thin, penetrating whistle sustained briefly; followed by rapid buzzing trill, combination unique among syntopic hummingbirds.
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.
Hook-billed Hermit
Found along the Atlantic coast of eastern Brazil from Bahia to Espírito Santo. Resident in coastal rainforest. Endangered; highly restricted range.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Hook-billed Hermit
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
Hook-billed Hermit
Bronze-green upperparts; cinnamon-rufous underparts with faint darker barring; pale buff supercilium stripe; rufous-buff tail with dark subterminal band; strongly curved bill; vulnerable Brazilian Atlantic forest endemic.
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.
Hook-billed Hermit
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) endemic to the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. Bronze-green plumage with a hooked bill tip. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting Heliconia and bromeliads. Classified as Endangered due to severe habitat loss in Brazil's coastal forests.