Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Scale-throated Hermit
Ensifera ensifera compared with Phaethornis eurynome
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Scale-throated Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Phaethornis eurynome |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 11.7 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 4.96 g (0.17 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 | -- | 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.
Scale-throated Hermit
Buzzy, high-pitched trill sustained for several seconds; continuous vibrating note with little variation, insect-like quality.
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.
Scale-throated Hermit
Endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil from Minas Gerais south to Rio Grande do Sul. Found at 100–1,500 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Scale-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
Scale-throated Hermit
Koepcke's Hermit: cinnamon underparts; olive-green crown and back; pale supercilium; graduated tail with white tips; decurved 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.
Scale-throated Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (14-15 cm) found in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay. Green plumage with scaled throat pattern and long, white-tipped tail. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth and edges.