Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Purple-throated Sunangel
Ensifera ensifera compared with Heliangelus viola
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Purple-throated Sunangel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Heliangelus viola |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 12.6 cm (5.0 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 5.433333333333333 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore strongly associated with Ericaceae in treeline habitats. Catches small insects on the wing for … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Purple-throated Sunangel only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Purple-throated Sunangel
Soft, liquid warbling with gentle character; mellow notes flowing easily in quiet musical phrase at forest edge.
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.
Purple-throated Sunangel
Found in Andean cloud forests of southern Ecuador and northern Peru at 1,600–3,000 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Purple-throated Sunangel
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
Purple-throated Sunangel
Peruvian Metaltail: males with iridescent violet gorget; metallic green back; very long bill; females green above; pale spotted underparts
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.
Purple-throated Sunangel
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Ecuador to Peru at 1,800-3,200 m. Males have a deep purple-violet throat gorget. Green plumage. Nectarivore of montane forest edges, particularly partial to flowering Ericaceae shrubs.