Sword-billed Hummingbird vs Crowned Woodnymph
Ensifera ensifera compared with Thalurania colombica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sword-billed Hummingbird | Crowned Woodnymph |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ensifera ensifera | Thalurania colombica |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.3 cm (6.0 in) | 10.5 cm (4.1 in) |
| Weight | 12.75 g (0.45 oz) | 4.34 g (0.15 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore uniquely adapted to extremely long flowers of Passiflora and Datura. Supplements with small insects … | Feeds on nectar from understory herbs and epiphytes in humid forest. Supplements diet with insects … |
| 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.
Crowned Woodnymph
Sharp, crackling chatter with percussive quality; rapid dry notes delivered forcefully during active territory defense.
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.
Crowned Woodnymph
Found in humid forests from Guatemala to Peru. Resident in lowland and montane forests on both slopes of the Andes.
Conservation Status
Sword-billed Hummingbird
Crowned Woodnymph
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
Crowned Woodnymph
White-quilled Bustard: males with white wing quills visible in flight; brown-vermiculated above; pale below; black belly band
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.
Crowned Woodnymph
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in humid forests from Guatemala to Peru. Males have a brilliant violet-blue crown and green body. Nectarivore of forest and forest edges. One of the most common woodnymph hummingbirds in Central and South America.