Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Puerto Rican Emerald
Ensifera ensifera compared with Riccordia maugaeus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Puerto Rican Emerald |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Riccordia maugaeus |
| 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) | 4.25 g (0.15 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Puerto Rican endemic nectarivore, visiting forest and garden flowers. Supplements nectar with insects and spiders … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Puerto Rican Emerald only
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Puerto Rican Emerald
Thin, reedy trill with nasal overtone; soft chattering notes delivered continuously during rapid low flight.
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.
Puerto Rican Emerald
Endemic to Puerto Rico. Resident across the island from coastal lowlands to mountain cloud forests.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Puerto Rican Emerald
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
Puerto Rican Emerald
Blue-tailed Hummingbird (b): males with glittering blue-green gorget; metallic green above; blue-glossed tail; females green; spotted
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.
Puerto Rican Emerald
A small hummingbird (9-10 cm) endemic to Puerto Rico. Bright emerald-green plumage. Nectarivore of forests, gardens, and plantations across the island. Puerto Rico's only endemic hummingbird. Found from coastal lowlands to mountain cloud forests.