Sword-billed Hummingbird vs White-sided Hillstar
Ensifera ensifera compared with Oreotrochilus leucopleurus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | White-sided Hillstar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Oreotrochilus leucopleurus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 13.6 cm (5.4 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 6.6 g (0.23 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore foraging above treeline at sparse Ericaceae and Chuquiraga patches. Supplements with small arthropods. |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
White-sided Hillstar only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
White-sided Hillstar
Melodic, ascending phrase with hopeful character; smooth pure tones rising steadily in clear musical progression at dawn.
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-sided Hillstar
Found in the Andes and Patagonian steppe of Argentina and Chile from 1,000–4,000 m. Partly migratory.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
White-sided 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
White-sided Hillstar
Gorgeted Woodstar: tiny; males with deep violet gorget extending to flanks; metallic green above; white underparts; females spotted
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-sided Hillstar
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in the southern Andes from Bolivia to Argentina at 2,500-4,500 m. Green plumage with white flanks. Nectarivore of puna grasslands and rocky slopes. Enters torpor nightly to survive cold Andean nights. Southern Andean near-endemic.