Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Ensifera ensifera compared with Heliodoxa branickii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Rufous-webbed Brilliant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Heliodoxa branickii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 12.5 cm (4.9 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 5.54 g (0.20 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Peruvian montane forest; visits Ericaceae and Heliconia flowers. Catches small insects in aerial … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Rufous-webbed Brilliant only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Sharp, mechanical clicks in rapid succession; dry staccato notes forming even sequence, distinctly clicking in character.
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.
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Found in cloud forest on the eastern Andean slope of Peru and Bolivia. 1,000–2,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Rufous-webbed 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
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Sword-billed Hummingbird (alt): males with glittering purple gorget; extremely long bill; metallic green above; females green with 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.
Rufous-webbed Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in Andean cloud forests of Peru and Bolivia at 1,500-2,800 m. Green plumage with rufous webbing on wing feathers visible in flight. Nectarivore of montane forest. Named for the rufous inner web of flight feathers.