Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Streak-throated Hermit
Ensifera ensifera compared with Phaethornis rupurumii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Streak-throated Hermit |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Phaethornis rupurumii |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 8.6 cm (3.4 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore and insectivore; extracts nectar from trap-lining flowers and hawks small flying insects in forest … |
| 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.
Streak-throated Hermit
High, thin peep barely audible beyond few metres; delicate single note repeated softly with long intervals in between.
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.
Streak-throated Hermit
Found in the Guiana Shield from Venezuela and Guyana south through Amazonia to Bolivia. Resident in lowland forest along streams and rivers.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Streak-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
Streak-throated Hermit
Tiny; green-bronze upperparts; buff underparts with fine dark streaking on throat; pale supercilium; white-tipped central tail feathers; Guiana Shield species; streaked throat pattern distinguishes from other small hermits.
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.
Streak-throated Hermit
A small hermit hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in humid forests and forest edges of the Guiana Shield and southern Venezuela. Green plumage with streak-patterned throat and rufous underparts. Nectarivore of forest undergrowth. Often confused with Little Hermit in the field.