Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Blue-vented Hummingbird
Ensifera ensifera compared with Saucerottia hoffmanni
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Blue-vented Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Saucerottia hoffmanni |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | — |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 4.85 g (0.17 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Feeds on nectar from Costa Rican lowland forest flowers and gardens. Supplements diet with small … |
| Clutch Size | -- | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
Blue-vented Hummingbird only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Thin, reedy whistle with plaintive character; soft nasal tone held briefly then gently fading in mist.
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Harsh, nasal chatter with emphatic delivery; rough buzzy notes delivered rapidly with coarse texture.
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.
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Found in dry to semi-humid habitats from Honduras to Costa Rica. Resident in gardens and forest edges.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Blue-vented 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
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Sunda Coucal: dark glossy brown above; rufous wings; pale buff below; long graduated dark tail; red eye; forest dweller
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.
Blue-vented Hummingbird
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in dry to semi-humid habitats from Honduras to Costa Rica. Green plumage with blue vent. Nectarivore of gardens, scrub, and forest edges. Named after the German naturalist Karl Hoffmann. A Central American near-endemic.