Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Black-backed Thornbill
Ensifera ensifera compared with Ramphomicron dorsale
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Black-backed Thornbill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Ramphomicron dorsale |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 3.5 g (0.12 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Nectarivore of high montane scrub and páramo; short bill suits small compact flowers. Gleans tiny … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
None
Black-backed Thornbill only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Black-backed Thornbill
Soft, sibilant hissing trill; gentle continuous buzz with slight pulsing quality during slow hover near blossoms.
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-backed Thornbill
Endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, in high-elevation scrub and páramo. 1,800–3,500 m. Found nowhere else.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Black-backed Thornbill
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-backed Thornbill
Coppery Emerald (alt): males with glittering purple-magenta gorget; metallic green above; white pectoral tufts; females spotted below
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-backed Thornbill
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm) endemic to the Santa Marta Mountains of northern Colombia at 3,000-4,600 m. Dark back, tiny bill, and white underparts. Nectarivore of high-altitude páramo. Classified as Vulnerable due to restricted mountain-top habitat.