Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Wedge-tailed Hillstar
Ensifera ensifera compared with Oreotrochilus adela
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Wedge-tailed Hillstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Oreotrochilus adela |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 13.1 cm (5.2 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 7.8500000000000005 g (0.28 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of Andean inter-valley slopes; visits Chuquiraga and scattered shrub flowers. Catches small arthropods. |
| 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.
Wedge-tailed Hillstar
Deep, resonant buzz with powerful carrying; low-frequency churring trill audible at impressive distance across open land.
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.
Wedge-tailed Hillstar
Endemic to Bolivia and adjacent Peru in high Andean puna and scrub at 2,800–4,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Wedge-tailed Hillstar
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
Wedge-tailed Hillstar
Mexican Sheartail: tiny; males with iridescent purple gorget; metallic green above; white belly; deeply forked tail; females green
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.
Wedge-tailed Hillstar
A medium-sized hummingbird (11-12 cm) endemic to the eastern Bolivian Andes at 2,700-4,200 m. Green plumage with a distinctive wedge-shaped tail. Nectarivore of puna scrub and cloud forest edges. A Bolivian near-endemic with a limited range.