Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Snowcap
Ensifera ensifera compared with Microchera albocoronata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Snowcap |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Microchera albocoronata |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 8.1 cm (3.2 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 … | Feeds on nectar from low shrubs and forest epiphytes in Central America. Supplements with small … |
| 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.
Snowcap
High, crystalline notes in bright musical phrase; clear ascending tones cascading smoothly in cheerful display.
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.
Snowcap
Found in humid forests from Honduras to western Panama. Resident in lowland and foothill forest canopy.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Snowcap
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
Snowcap
Black-bellied Bustard: males with black belly and neck stripe; white flanks; brown above; females brown above; pale below; dimorphic
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.
Snowcap
A tiny hummingbird (6-7 cm) found in humid forests from Honduras to western Panama. Males have a striking white crown cap contrasting with dark purple body, giving the snowcap name. Nectarivore of forest canopy. One of the smallest and most distinctive Central American hummingbirds.