Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Coppery-headed Emerald
Ensifera ensifera compared with Microchera cupreiceps
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Coppery-headed Emerald |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Microchera cupreiceps |
| 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) | 3.15 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Feeds on nectar from diverse forest flowers, hovering briefly at each bloom. Takes small insects … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
None
Coppery-headed Emerald only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Coppery-headed Emerald
Rough, grating buzz with coarse texture; harsh sustained vibration carrying across open scrubby hillside.
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.
Coppery-headed Emerald
Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica at 700-1,600 m. Classified as Near Threatened. A Costa Rican endemic.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Coppery-headed 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
Coppery-headed Emerald
Little Brown Bustard: brown-vermiculated above; pale buff below; white wing patches; short streaked crest; sexually similar plumage
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.
Coppery-headed Emerald
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica at 700-1,600 m. Males have a glittering copper-green crown and white breast. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. A Costa Rican endemic. Classified as Near Threatened.