Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Gould's Brilliant
Ensifera ensifera compared with Heliodoxa aurescens
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Gould's Brilliant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Heliodoxa aurescens |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 12.2 cm (4.8 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 5.975 g (0.21 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forest; aggressively defends Ericaceae patches. Takes small insects for … |
| 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.
Gould's Brilliant
Soft, pure whistle with tremulous quality; gentle wavering note given quietly from shaded perch in dense thicket.
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.
Gould's Brilliant
Found in Amazonian lowland forest from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to Brazil. 0–1,000 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Gould's Brilliant
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
Gould's Brilliant
Black-backed Thornbill (alt): tiny; males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic green above; white flanks; females plain green; spots
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.
Gould's Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in humid lowland forests from eastern Colombia through the Guianas to Bolivia and Brazil. Green plumage with iridescent golden-green breast. Nectarivore of Amazonian forest canopy and edges. Named after John Gould.