Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Planalto Hermit
Ensifera ensifera compared with Phaethornis pretrei
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Planalto Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Phaethornis pretrei |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 11.9 cm (4.7 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 5.0200000000000005 g (0.18 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore following trap-lining routes through Heliconia and Costus flowers. Catches small arthropods for protein. |
| 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.
Planalto Hermit
Melodic, rising whistle with hopeful quality; smooth ascending note curving upward then briefly hovering before fading.
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.
Planalto Hermit
Endemic to eastern and central Brazil from Piauí and Goiás to Mato Grosso. Found in cerrado and dry forest at 300–800 m.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Planalto 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
Planalto Hermit
Long-tailed Hermit: rufous below; glossy green crown; broad white supercilium; elongated white-tipped central tail feathers; buff undertail
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.
Planalto Hermit
A medium-sized hermit hummingbird (13-15 cm) found in cerrado, gallery forests, and dry woodlands of central and eastern Brazil. Green upperparts, pale underparts, and rufous rump with long, white-tipped central tail feathers. Named after the French naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire.