Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Scintillant Hummingbird
Ensifera ensifera compared with Selasphorus scintilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Scintillant Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Selasphorus scintilla |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 6.6 cm (2.6 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 2.188 g (0.08 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Feeds on nectar from low-elevation Costa Rican scrub flowers. Supplements diet with tiny insects and … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Sword-billed Hummingbird only
None
Scintillant 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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
Soft, sibilant twittering with airy quality; high light notes cascading gently near flowering vegetation.
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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama at 900-2,000 m elevation. Resident in cloud forest edges.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Scintillant 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
Scintillant Hummingbird
Red-billed Streamertail: males with glittering violet gorget; metallic green above; elongated tail streamers; red bill; females plain
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.
Scintillant Hummingbird
One of the world's smallest hummingbirds (6-7 cm). Endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama at 900-2,000 m. Males have a flaming orange-red gorget. Nectarivore of cloud forest edges and mountain gardens. Weighs only 2-3 grams.