Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Booted Racket-tail
Ensifera ensifera compared with Ocreatus underwoodii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Ocreatus underwoodii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 2.8 g (0.10 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Andean foothill forest; visits Ericaceae and Heliconia flowers. Catches small insects in aerial … |
| 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.
Booted Racket-tail
Melodic, rolling phrase with liquid quality; warm bubbly notes tumbling in pleasant continuous musical sequence.
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.
Booted Racket-tail
Widespread in Andean foothill and cloud forests from Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. 200–1,800 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Booted Racket-tail
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
Booted Racket-tail
Blue-throated Starfrontlet: males with glittering blue gorget; metallic bronze-green; females green above; spotted buff underparts
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.
Booted Racket-tail
A small hummingbird (8-10 cm plus 5-7 cm tail rackets in males) widely distributed in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Bolivia at 1,500-3,000 m. Males have long, wire-like outer tail feathers ending in dark blue racket tips and fluffy white leg puffs. A cloud forest icon.