Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Short-crested Coquette
Ensifera ensifera compared with Lophornis brachylophus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Short-crested Coquette |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Lophornis brachylophus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 2.7 g (0.10 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore specializing in small flowers of disturbed areas and edges. Supplements nectar with tiny arthropods … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| 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.
Short-crested Coquette
Rough, raspy buzz with coarse texture; sustained harsh sound with vibrating quality audible through dense vegetation.
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.
Short-crested Coquette
Endemic to a small area of the Sierra de Atoyac in Guerrero, Mexico in cloud forest. 1,200–2,000 m. Critically endangered.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Short-crested Coquette
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
Short-crested Coquette
Magenta-throated Woodstar: shining metallic green above; glittering magenta-red gorget; pale buff underparts; rufous flanks; straight bill
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.
Short-crested Coquette
A tiny hummingbird (7 cm) endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, southwestern Mexico. Males have a short rufous crest. Green plumage. Nectarivore of humid montane forest. Critically Endangered with an extremely small range and declining habitat.