Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Buff-thighed Puffleg
Ensifera ensifera compared with Haplophaedia assimilis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Buff-thighed Puffleg |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Haplophaedia assimilis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 11.4 cm (4.5 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 5.05 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Peruvian montane forest; forages at Ericaceae and bromeliads. Supplements diet with small arthropods. |
| 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.
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Melodic, two-note descending call; pure warm tones stepping down smoothly, given at regular intervals from perch.
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.
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Found on the eastern Andean slope in Peru in lower montane and foothill forest. 600–2,200 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Buff-thighed 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
Buff-thighed Puffleg
Brown Violetear: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic bronze-green above; violet ear tufts; females green with spotted below
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.
Buff-thighed Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Peru to Bolivia at 1,000-2,500 m. Green plumage with buff-colored leg puffs. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth and edges. Closely related to Greenish Puffleg. An Andean foothill specialist.