Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Violet-capped Hummingbird
Ensifera ensifera compared with Goldmania violiceps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Violet-capped Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Goldmania violiceps |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 9.9 cm (3.9 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.8666666666666667 g (0.14 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Feeds on nectar from lowland Panamanian forest flowers. Supplements with insects and spiders foraged from … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Violet-capped Hummingbird only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Violet-capped Hummingbird
Sharp, emphatic chip note with metallic ring; single clean staccato sound repeated at measured intervals.
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.
Violet-capped Hummingbird
Found in humid forests from eastern Panama to northwestern Colombia. Resident in lowland forest undergrowth.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Violet-capped Hummingbird
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
Violet-capped Hummingbird
Lesser Florican: males with black head and underparts; white wings and neck ruff; brown back; females sandy-brown; very dimorphic
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.
Violet-capped Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid forests from eastern Panama to northwestern Colombia. Green plumage with a violet crown (males). Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges. Named after the American ornithologist William Goldman.