Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Peacock Coquette
Ensifera ensifera compared with Lophornis pavoninus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Peacock Coquette |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Lophornis pavoninus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 9.2 cm (3.6 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Mexican Pacific slope forests. Visits small tubular flowers at edges; takes minute flies … |
| 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.
Peacock Coquette
Soft, pure whistle with warm timbre; gentle sustained note with barely perceptible vibrato, given quietly in shade.
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.
Peacock Coquette
Found in tepui highlands of Venezuela and adjacent Brazil and Guyana in open shrubby vegetation. 1,000–2,500 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Peacock 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
Peacock Coquette
Chilean Woodstar: males glittering green body; violet gorget; females green above; buff-white underparts with green flank spots; tiny
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.
Peacock Coquette
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm) found in humid lowland forests of the Guiana Shield region from Venezuela to Suriname and northern Brazil. Males have fan-shaped green cheek plumes reminiscent of a peacock's display. Nectarivore of forest canopy.