Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Purple-collared Woodstar
Ensifera ensifera compared with Myrtis fanny
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Purple-collared Woodstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Myrtis fanny |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 7.9 cm (3.1 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 2.4 g (0.08 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Andean foothills and inter-valley scrub; visits small tubular flowers. Supplements with tiny arthropods. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Purple-collared Woodstar only
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Purple-collared Woodstar
Harsh, grating buzz with mechanical quality; abrupt dry trill issued suddenly then stopping in sharp silence.
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.
Purple-collared Woodstar
Found in open habitats, gardens, and scrub from southern Ecuador south through Peru to northwestern Chile. Sea level to 3,000 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Purple-collared Woodstar
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
Purple-collared Woodstar
White-tailed Sabrewing: males iridescent blue gorget; metallic green; white outer tail; females green above; spotted white below
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.
Purple-collared Woodstar
A tiny hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in arid western Peru and southwestern Ecuador at sea level to 2,500 m. Males have a purple collar. Nectarivore of desert scrub, gardens, and river valleys. Adapted to extremely arid coastal environments.