Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Black-throated Hermit
Ensifera ensifera compared with Phaethornis atrimentalis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Black-throated Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Phaethornis atrimentalis |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 7.7 cm (3.0 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 long-tubed lowland flowers, especially Heliconia. Gleans small insects and spiders from leaf surfaces. |
| 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.
Black-throated Hermit
Buzzy, insect-like trill with rapid modulation; high-frequency buzz sustained briefly then repeated after short pause.
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.
Black-throated Hermit
Found in Amazonian foothills of Ecuador, Peru, and far western Brazil at 200–1,200 m. Uncommon and patchily distributed.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Black-throated Hermit
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
Black-throated Hermit
Pale-tailed Barbthroat: buffy-white underparts; olive-green above; distinct pale buff supercilium; long graduated tail; slightly decurved pink-based bill
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.
Black-throated Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (9-10 cm) found in humid lowland forests from Colombia to Peru and western Brazil. Dark throat patch contrasting with pale underparts. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth, visiting small Heliconia and Costus flowers along forest streams.