Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Black-throated Brilliant
Ensifera ensifera compared with Heliodoxa schreibersii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Black-throated Brilliant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Heliodoxa schreibersii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 13.9 cm (5.5 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 8.5 g (0.30 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Amazonian foothill forest; visits large-flowered shrubs and epiphytes. Supplements with small arthropods. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Black-throated 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.
Black-throated Brilliant
Buzzy, sustained trill with insect-like monotony; continuous low vibration with minimal variation throughout delivery.
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.
Black-throated Brilliant
Found in lowland and foothill humid forest from Colombia south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 0–1,400 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Black-throated 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
Black-throated Brilliant
Giant Hummingbird (alt): males with iridescent blue gorget; metallic green; very large; white rump; 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.
Black-throated Brilliant
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) found in humid forests from eastern Colombia through Ecuador and Peru at 300-1,500 m. Males have a black throat patch with green glitter. Nectarivore of foothill forest. Named after the Austrian naturalist Carl von Schreibers.