Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Charming Hummingbird
Ensifera ensifera compared with Polyerata decora
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Charming Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Polyerata decora |
| 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) | 4.335 g (0.15 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
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Charming Hummingbird
High, crystalline notes in animated ascending phrase; clear bright tones climbing smoothly in energetic display.
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.
Charming Hummingbird
Found in humid forests from Costa Rica to western Panama. Resident in lowland and foothill forest.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Charming Hummingbird
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
Charming Hummingbird
Bornean Ground-cuckoo: dark iridescent green-black above; rufous underparts; blue orbital ring; long tail; ground-dwelling; cobalt blue
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.
Charming Hummingbird
A small hummingbird (8-9 cm) found in humid forests from Costa Rica to western Panama. Green plumage with a blue breast. Nectarivore of forest edges. Closely related to Blue-chested Hummingbird. A Central American near-endemic.