Sword-billed Hummingbird vs White-tailed Emerald
Ensifera ensifera compared with Microchera chionura
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | White-tailed Emerald |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Microchera chionura |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | — |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.2 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Visits flowering trees and epiphytes for nectar; supplements diet with small arthropods including gnats, midges, … |
| 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.
White-tailed Emerald
Melodic, flute-like phrase with warm timbre; smooth notes flowing in relaxed quiet progression at forest edge.
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.
White-tailed Emerald
Found in humid forests of western Panama and extreme western Colombia. Resident in lowland and foothill forest.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
White-tailed Emerald
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
White-tailed Emerald
Bengal Florican: males with black head and underparts; white wings; brown back; females sandy-brown all over; highly 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.
White-tailed Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid forests of western Panama and extreme western Colombia. Green plumage with white outer tail feathers. Nectarivore of forest edges. Closely related to Coppery-headed Emerald. A Central American near-endemic.