Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Scaly-breasted Sabrewing
Ensifera ensifera compared with Phaeochroa cuvierii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Scaly-breasted Sabrewing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Phaeochroa cuvierii |
| 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) | 8.959999999999999 g (0.32 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Visits flowering trees and epiphytes for nectar; supplements diet with small arthropods including gnats, midges, … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Scaly-breasted Sabrewing only
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Scaly-breasted Sabrewing
Sharp, emphatic chip note with bright projection; single clean staccato sound repeated persistently near territory.
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.
Scaly-breasted Sabrewing
Found in humid forests from Guatemala to Colombia and Venezuela. Resident in lowland forest undergrowth and edges.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Scaly-breasted Sabrewing
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
Scaly-breasted Sabrewing
Lesser Ground-cuckoo: rufous below; brown-barred above; blue orbital ring; long broad tail; blue eye ring; tropical ground dweller
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.
Scaly-breasted Sabrewing
A large hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in humid forests from Guatemala to Colombia and Venezuela. Green plumage with a scaly breast pattern. Large bill. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges, visiting banana flowers. The only member of its genus.